Dark Possession
by Reiji Neko Mitsukai
Summary: Endiness is threatened again, and the seven Dragoon Warriors must gather. With Rose and Zieg gone and their spirits lost, two new Dragoons must take their place.
1. Reunion Planned

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the thing. You know, that thing in the first paragraph of this fic? Yeah, that thing. Everything else I don't own, in this chapter anyway.  
  
Author's note: I'm going to try to make this fic similar to the game by having the Dragoons go on a humongoid journey before they find out what this is really about. So try to bear with me, as this is only my second fic and I want to try to improve on the quality. So if you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know.  
  
* * * *  
  
It was well hidden. There was little proof of its existence. Even though humans walked on the ground above it, none of them ever knew of the existence of the evil they were walking over.  
  
It would take over this world. Slowly, so the humans wouldn't suspect a thing until it was too late. The kings would have to die, of course. Their queens and children can be its servants. All species daring to defy it would die. It would rule with an iron fist.  
  
Its day would come. Oh yes, very soon.  
  
~  
  
The rain poured over the city, keeping the occupants inside. The lights from inside the houses lit up the darkened stone streets. No one noticed the cloaked figure entering the town. The person was wearing a long black hooded cloak that went down to their ankles. The shadow from the hood covered their face. The only thing visible was the blue and gold sandal- clad feet, which made very little noise as they walked.  
  
The figure stopped momentarily, looking up at the castle. An unseen smile appeared on the hidden face. They had reached their destination: Bale. A moment later they continued to walk, the cloak beginning to get weighed down by the heavy rain.  
  
It took very little time for them to walk to the castle. By this time the clouds were becoming lighter; the rain would stop soon. The figure began to climb the steps without hesitation. When they reached the door, a small hand emerged from the folds of the cloak as they reached out and knocked three times on the immense door.  
  
After a few moments, the door opened a few inches. The weary face of a guard peered out at them, eyes narrowing at the suspicious looking character. "Yes?" he asked.  
  
The voice of the stranger was young and female. "I want to see King Albert."  
  
The guard studied her for a moment longer, then opened the door a little wider and allowed her in. She stepped in, glad to be out of the rain, but still kept the cloak on.  
  
"I'm going to have to ask you to give up any weapons you have while you're here," said the guard.  
  
"I don't have any," she replied.  
  
The guard nodded to another guard at the entrance, then led the girl down the hallway. The walls were decorated with portraits of people; she didn't know if they were family members or past kings.  
  
They climbed a flight of steps, turning the moment they emerged to walk up a ramp that curved upwards to yet another flight of stairs leading to the throne room. Ascending the steps, another smile appeared on the girl's hidden face. The king will be genuinely surprised.  
  
Nothing had really changed since before Albert had become a Dragoon. The only differences was the extra throne next to the King's, and the familiar portrait of a knight hanging on the wall between them. The King and Queen of Serdia were in the throne room, conversing in low tones when the guard and the girl entered. Noticing their entrance, Albert excused himself from the conversation and turned to face the two. Emille stood next to him, as a queen should stand beside her king.  
  
Both the guard and the visitor kneeled before the royal couple.  
  
"Your Majesty," said the guard as they straightened. "This young woman has requested to see you."  
  
Albert nodded once, a faint smile decorating his features. He then directed his attention to the cloaked figure. "May I have your name, please?"  
  
"I'm surprised you don't recognize me, Al."  
  
Albert's face went from a faint smile to one mixed with curiosity and questioning. The nickname definitely sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember where at the moment. Something in his mind berated him for forgetting; telling him that it was very important, and should not have been forgotten.  
  
The cloak was suddenly flung off; it's wearer grinning.  
  
"Meru!"  
  
Indeed it was Meru, minus the ribbons she previously wore. She had traded in her old clothing for blue and gold colored sleeveless shirt and skirt that went mid-thigh. Her platinum hair was still in its usual high ponytail. Her mallet, however, was nowhere to be seen. The mischievous gleam in her ruby eyes had remained.  
  
Albert's face had lit up the instant the cloak had come off, as he had recognized her right away. Within seconds he was at her side, holding both of her hands in his.  
  
"Meru! It's so good to see you again after all this time!"  
  
Emille had to stifle a giggle as she watched Albert greet his friend. The height difference between the two made the scene rather amusing. The look on the guard's face, which was a mix between confusion and surprise, wasn't making it any easier for her.  
  
~  
  
A while later, the clouds had broken up and sunlight beamed down brightly, almost as if apologizing for the delay. The flowers in the courtyard were opening, eager to soak in the light and dry off.  
  
It had only been nine months since the second Dragoon campaign, but the King and the young Wingly still talked for a long time. They described the past nine months in great detail. They were currently walking though the courtyard of the castle, strolling along at a casual pace as Meru described her travels.  
  
"What happened to your friend Guhara?" asked Albert as they sat down on a bench, which had dried off by this time.  
  
Meru gently swung her feet, which barely touched the ground. "He got homesick after a while, so he went back home to the forest a few weeks ago."  
  
There was a pause in the conversation, which Meru decided to take an advantage of.  
  
"Hey Al, I've been thinking. It's gonna be a year after we fought on the Moon in a few months, right?"  
  
Albert thought for a moment, looking up at the sky. Had it really been that long? Of course the days had barely crept along the first few months after he returned to Bale; he had missed the company of his fellow Dragoons. But after a while, the days returned to their regular length, and time had passed rather quickly. "Hmm. I believe you're right, Meru," he said as he looked back at the Wingly girl. "In about three months."  
  
"So," continued Meru, "I figured we could get all the Dragoons together to celebrate."  
  
Albert smiled, this one much more enthusiastic than the faint one he offered her in the throne room. The idea sounded fantastic to him. He was beginning to get bored; he was used to having to fight for survival nearly every day. Now that he was back in the luxury of his castle, his hands were itching to use his javelin again. Perhaps visiting with his friends would ease the urge. "That's an excellent idea Meru! We could have everyone come here and they can all stay in the castle!"  
  
Meru grinned. She was hoping he would be excited about the idea. "I knew you'd like it! I'll go invite Miranda and have her get Hashel and Kongol on her way here. You can send someone out to invite Dart and Shana."  
  
"We haven't a moment to lose!" he exclaimed as he stood up. "I'll get to work on Dart and Shana's invitation right away; then we can plan the party."  
  
Meru's grin became bigger. She wasn't expecting him to get this enthusiastic about it, but she was glad to see he was going along with it. She also got to her feet. "Now you're talkin' my language, Al. I'll come back as soon as I tell Miranda."  
  
~  
  
As soon as Meru left for Millie Seasu, Albert headed towards his study. It was obvious he was genuinely excited, as it was written all over his face. His soft brown eyes were alight with happiness with a very noticeable smile on his features. Even Emille noticed, but it was most obvious to her when her husband picked her up by her waist and spun her around once before putting her down.  
  
"My goodness, Albert! What has gotten into you?" she asked once she was on the ground. He had surprised her, yes, but she was glad he was in such a good mood.  
  
"A party, my dear Queen!" he exclaimed as his smile grew. "To celebrate the one year anniversary of world salvation from destruction!"  
  
"It sounds wonderful," she said as she smiled. Things had gotten rather boring for her as well, and she wanted a change of pace. A party sounded like the best thing to cure her boredom.  
  
* * * *  
  
Author's note: First chapter done. Hopefully the next chapter will get done faster, all depending upon schoolwork, sleeping, eating; life in general.  
  
I know I misspelled Guhara's name, I just know it. If someone out there can tell me how to spell it right, I'd be eternally grateful. 


	2. New Spirits Emerge

Disclaimer: I own the first girl, the second belongs to my friend. That's all I own in this one. So you can't sue me.  
  
Author's note: Second chapter. Plot takes a slight twist in this one.  
  
* * * *  
  
In Millie Seasu, in the Evergreen Forest, an oversized rat stood, ready to attack. On the other side of the clearing, a young woman stood tense and waiting. Her long dirty-blonde hair was in a loose ponytail, the last three- fourths of its length in a braid. Her bangs were short towards the middle, then were cut to a gradual length that was still too short to be a part of the loose ponytail. Her blue-green eyes stared at the rat intensely. A teal headband wrapped around her head, lifting her hair and almost giving it a poofy look. The front of the headband was designed to come down to a gradual point in the middle of her forehead. Her tight shirt, which was of a light teal color, had sleeves that ran down to a point halfway down her forearm. She wore silver colored armor over her shirt; the metal shaped to fit her female body. It had no sleeves, and only went to the bottom of her ribcage. A leather belt was fastened tightly around her waist. A piece of light teal cloth was tied around her hips, the back looking similar to a spade with the tip nearly reaching the back of her knees. The ends that were tied hung down to her knees. Her tan pants were tight, as were her leather boots that went up to mid-shin. Loosely clenched in her hands was a long double-headed spear. It was of a silver color, with light teal engravings like long wisps of flame or wind decorated both ends and the middle of the staff. She was completely focused on the animal before her, tense and waiting.  
  
With a screech, the rat leaped at her, fangs glistening. The woman wondered for a moment why it was trying to bite her and not claw her, then stepped to one side as the rat came flying towards her. As it passed by, she jabbed one spearhead into the animal.  
  
She missed. She meant for the tip to force its way into the rat's ribcage and pierce its heart, but she was too slow. Instead a deep long gash appeared as the spearhead ran down the right side of the beast, leaving a long trail.  
  
The rat tumbled to the ground a few feet away. The woman immediately whirled around; her braid nearly reaching up to hit her in the face as she intensely watched the rat's every move.  
  
The animal lay unmoving for a few moments then slowly began to get to its feet. Seeing her chance, the woman leaped over and swung her spear, using the flat side of the un-bloodied head to hit the rat sharply on the side of its head, knocking it unconscious. It fell limply back to the ground, its front paws underneath it and tail stretched out behind it.  
  
The woman brought her spear to her side, the end that knocked the rat out sinking slightly into the soft soil. She paused for a few moments to slow her breathing and let her heart slow. She had been chasing that rat all morning.  
  
After her heart had returned to its normal pace, she sighed and stepped closer to her prey. She was a huntress. It wasn't her favorite job, but it brought in money, so it was better than nothing. Besides, her grandfather was a hunter- he had to so he could feed her grandmother and herself- so why couldn't she? It was practically in her blood.  
  
She rolled the rat onto its back with her foot and found out why it didn't try to claw her. Its front paws were clamped together, almost as if it was holding something. The huntress puzzled over this for a moment before going back to work. Raising her spear, she estimated where the heart would be, then quickly and forcefully brought the spear down. The rat made no move when a rush of air left its lungs, and stopped moving entirely as no air came back in.  
  
She pulled out her spear and made a face as blood began to ooze from the hole. She wouldn't get much for this pelt. With the big gash down the side and the hole in the chest, she would most likely get less than half for it. With another sigh, she bound its back feet together and began to lift it.  
  
As soon as it left the ground, the two front paws came apart and a stone fell to the ground. Hearing the sound it made, the woman turned to see it roll towards her a few inches. She stopped and stared, then slowly lowered her catch to the ground and walked slowly to the stone. When she was close she kneeled down to look at it closer.  
  
She saw it was a gemstone, rather large, but small enough that she could hold it in the palm of her hand. It was a perfect sphere, faultless and clean. It was of a light teal color matching her clothes. But what surprised her the most was the odd black shape in the middle. It almost looked like an eye, like that of a wild animal. Intrigued, the woman reached out to pick it up. Once she got close, the stone began to glow with a bright, light teal light.  
  
She recoiled, bringing her hand back as she jumped slightly. The glow diminished. Her eyes widened in surprise. With her other hand, she gently tapped the stone with the tip of a spearhead. The gem flickered, but didn't glow.  
  
The woman swallowed hard. She was wary; gemstones aren't supposed to glow when you get near them. She wanted to just leave it there and hope somebody else finds it.  
  
But something was calling her to it. She couldn't hear anything, but an unspoken voice, like the soft tone of a mother singing to her children, was beckoning her towards it, to pick it up. Even her heart, which was back up to speed again, was yearning for the gemstone.  
  
After a few moments, the huntress gave in. She slowly reached out, the gem once again giving off a bright glow. She paused for a moment, her hand a few inches from the stone. Continuing her reach, the light become so bright she had to shield her eyes from the glow with her left arm. Her right hand, however, continued to get closer until her hand clamped around it. The light was blocked from her face, so she put her arm down as she lifted the stone off the ground and towards her. Beams of light teal light escaped though her fingers, piercing the gloom of the forest caused by a cloudy sky. The unspoken voice had silenced itself, and her heart was satisfied. She stared down at the gem, an eerie calm feeling overtaking her. She placed the still glowing stone into a pouch on her belt. Some light escaped from the flap covering her treasure, but otherwise it was unnoticeable. Picking up her spear with her right hand and laying her catch on her left shoulder, she started her way back home to Furni, the Water City.  
  
~  
  
Meanwhile, on the other side of Endiness, a messenger walked into Seles. The poor man didn't know his way around the small village, and didn't know anybody who lived there. He was certainly going to have a hard time finding the recipient of the letter he currently carried. It was from King Albert himself, and didn't want to disappoint His Majesty by failing to deliver the letter.  
  
However, he was a tourist, and spent a lot of time looking around and not watching where he was going.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
The messenger recovered from the collision to see a young woman, most likely in her early twenties, glaring bloody murder at him with ruby colored eyes. She was wearing leather pants that were rather tight, along with a black cloth shirt that ended at the bottom of her ribcage. Her leather boots only went up to just above her ankles. Her platinum hair flowed down to her back, and her bangs covered her face slightly before joining with the rest of her hair. A leather belt was fastened tightly around her hips, a sword attached.  
  
The messenger was armed, but with just a short sword. He certainly didn't want to provoke a fight, as he was rather intimidated by the woman.  
  
"Oh, I-I'm sorry miss. You see, I'm a little lost. I have a letter from King Albert and it's important that I deliver it, but I can't seem to find where its recipients live. I'm looking for a..." he paused at he pulled out the letter, reading the names. "... Dart and Shana Feld."  
  
The woman shook her head, her glare toning down. "Don't know them."  
  
"Well, thank you anyway, ma'am." He walked quickly, scooting around her and trying to put as much distance between them as possible.  
  
The woman watched his retreating back, her glare gradually disappearing. She then shook her head and continued to walk. "Humans..."  
  
Her muttering was disrupted as her steps were cut short. She was once again stopped, but this time for an entirely different reason.  
  
It was almost a calling; a voiceless beckoning that was calling her towards something. She turned to her left and saw nothing unusual; a dirt road packed down from years of use and individual buildings of wood with large windows lining the side. One building, slightly behind her, was taking hold of her attention like she would her sword. It appeared fairly new; the sign was cleaner and had less dust on it from the road. The windows were fairly clean, just a few patches of dust here and there.  
  
She took a few steps toward it, and the calling became louder. She increased her pace until she was at the door. Reaching up to push open the door, she paused long enough to read the sign. Its freshly painted letters said, "Reg's Gift & Keepsakes". By now the unspoken voice was practically screaming in her head, telling her to come closer. After a moment's hesitation, she pushed open the door and entered.  
  
The second the door closed behind her, the voice diminished to a whisper. The woman looked around to see multiple shelves lining the walls. The room wasn't very big; there was a counter on the opposite side of the room from the door, and the rest of the space was for the customers. Objects were neatly arranged on each of the shelves, shining in the light that flowed though the window. Behind the counter stood a slightly large man, his back facing her. He didn't seem to notice her entrance at all.  
  
She preferred it that way. She quietly walked around, glancing at the knickknacks and assortment of objects.  
  
She was once again abruptly stopped. A flickering of a light had caught her eye. She turned to see what had caused it.  
  
There, sitting on the second shelf, was a gemstone. It was big enough to fit in her hand comfortably. It was a perfect sphere. There were no faults to be found in it. It was entirely black, except for what appeared to be the shape of a wild animal's pupil outlined in red in the center. Intrigued, she reached out for it.  
  
She recoiled when it began to seemingly glow, a dark shroud that seemed to swallow and cloak everything around it radiating from it. The moment she brought her hand back the shroud subsided, but the gem flickered every few seconds. Her eyes widened as she shot a glance at the shopkeeper. He hadn't seemed to notice the strange going-ons in his shop. Good.  
  
After attempting to regain her composure, she checked her appearance in the reflection of a metal pot nearby. Making sure she looked like nothing had happened; she turned to the shopkeeper, who still had no knowledge of her presence.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
Her voice caught his attention, and he turned to face her with a cheerful smile. "Can I help you, ma'am?"  
  
She didn't return the smile. "What is this and how much?" she asked as she gestured slightly towards the gem. She didn't want to set it off again.  
  
"That's one of those Miracle Stones from Lohan. I found it by the side of the road just outside of Seles. They say that if it glows when you hold it, it'll cure just about anything: from poison to dispiriting. It's 100 gold."  
  
The woman inwardly cringed. That was about half of her remaining gold.  
  
Then there was that voice again. This time it was pleading, begging, then almost threatening...  
  
"I'll take it."  
  
She put the gold on the counter, and waited for the man to turn his back to put away the money before quickly scooping up the stone and putting it in a pouch on her belt before he could see the glow. She quickly walked out of the small building, the voice in her mind silenced and pleased. She headed home, which was just across the small village of Seles.  
  
~  
  
A few days later in the morning hours, the huntress guided her boat up to the landing in front of Teo's house. She was prepared for her hunt today: she had her double-headed spear, some healing potions, along with mind and body purifiers, a length of rope, and a small net.  
  
She hopped onto land and tied up her boat so it wouldn't drift away. She didn't need to go though that again. She climbed up the stairs, then the door to Teo's house burst open once she reached the top. Teo came running out, Kamuy on his heels. They both stopped in front of her, Teo all smiles and Kamuy running circles around him, as always.  
  
The woman smiled at them. "Good morning Teo." She crouched down; the wolf pup running up to her and putting his front paws on her knees, letting her pet his white head. "Good morning Kamuy."  
  
"Ma and Pa wanted me to ask you if you wanted to come have dinner with us; Fa's coming too!"  
  
The woman slowly got up, letting the pup get off her lap and resume running circles around Teo. "I'll try to come, okay?"  
  
"Okay!" The boy and his wolf both ran to the house, waving goodbye as they disappeared into the house.  
  
Her smile grew a fraction bigger. Teo was a darling child, and she really did care for the little boy. Every day she went hunting, he stood by the window and waved to her as she passed. On her way back it was the same, sometimes he would even shout her a hello or ask if any of the catches ran away. She walked out of Furni, her travels only taking an hour and a half to reach the Evergreen Forest.  
  
She calmly strolled along the paths, taking her time and enjoying the scenery. If she hurried, she could possibly scare away some of the more meek of the animals that lived here. She liked how the trees lined along the path towered above, almost making a canopy of foliage. This was her favorite part of the hunt.  
  
Her moment was disturbed, however, with a sudden noise behind her. She stopped suddenly, the familiarity of the sound dawning on her as her eyes widened to a noticeable size. She slowly turned on heel, only to come face- to-face with a wounded bear. Its eyes stared at her hungrily, another low growl emitting from its throat and into her face.  
  
She felt her heart rate reach an all-time high as she swallowed hard. Her deep internal fear of wounded bears surfaced and induced the adrenaline rush. This was the one animal she couldn't hunt; they usually ended up hunting her first.  
  
Without a second thought, she turned and ran, bursting though the line of trees. The bear was slower than her, but followed just the same. The only reason the huntress ran was because the path was too narrow for her to use her spear. There was a clearing in the forest that almost looked like a plateau; it would be big enough if she could find it.  
  
Leaping over fallen branches and pushing leaves out of her face, her armored chest heaved as she ran.  
  
'What did grandpa tell you about hunting bear after his trip?' she thought to herself. The other, less reasonable part of her supplied a reply: 'He didn't tell you anything, because that's the hunt he never came back from, you fool!'  
  
Looking ahead, she saw the break in the trees and the plateau behind them. Silently, she praised Soa. The clearing was just ahead.  
  
Unfortunately, so was the raised tree root.  
  
She twisted in mid-fall in surprise; the result was her landing on her side instead of her face. The pouch on her belt opened from the impact, the light teal gem rolling out and coming to a stop a few inches away. The woman's head hit against a rock and knocked her unconscious for a brief moment. She regained her senses to hear the bear growl in victory as it came closer. It was close, too close for her to try to get up and make a run for it with her headache. She was done for.  
  
Suddenly, an incredibly bright light appeared, seemingly coming from beneath her. It became so bright she had to shut her eyes and turn her head to protect her sensitive organs of sight.  
  
She felt a slight tingling sensation run across her body, starting with her feet and going upwards. Simultaneously, she felt herself being lifted off the ground completely, against her will. Startled, she opened her eyes.  
  
The first thing she noticed was the fact that she was hovering at the same height of the tops of the trees. The wounded bear was underneath her, looking up at her with a mix of surprise and curiosity. The huntress wondered idly for a moment as to how she was hovering.  
  
There is a bright flash of light, and five semi-transparent soldiers appear in front of her. They all seemed to be facing the bear underneath her, which was jumping and swiping its claws at her, trying to reach her. The five specters suddenly swooped down at the bear, lifting it clear off the ground and tossing it clear across the forest. She lost sight of it after it fell back into the trees. After the bear landed, the five soldiers floated back to her, faced her, bowed, then disappeared.  
  
She was shaking. She could feel it. It was a bit too much for a person to take in at once. In one moment, she was about to be eaten by a bear; and the next she was hovering thirty-odd feet above the ground as the spirits of soldiers long dead tossed the dang thing across the forest. She could actually feel the soldiers; they were a part of her. The thought in her head was 'Get the bear away from me' and they followed orders. What was going on?  
  
And what the heck was that clanking?  
  
She looked down to see her arms were still shaking, the armor on her arms making contact with itself and clanking together. It took a moment for her mind to register that she was only wearing armor on her chest when she went hunting.  
  
Shock settled in as she inspected the strange armor. It was light teal in color, and decorated with intricate designs. Her hands were fitted with light teal gloves that almost felt like leather, her wrists and forearms protected with gauntlets. There was no armor on her shoulders, and the chest plate had no sleeves and bulged out slightly in the front where a large dark blue gem shone. The armor tightened around her waist, and formed a sort of skirting past her hips. A tight black cloth outfitted her legs, while knee and shin guards protected her lower leg. The armored footwear had a low heel; similar to the boots she was wearing before. Turning her head, she saw dark blue colored wings, similar in style to that of a dragon would, flapping in a casual pace behind her. Feeling a difference with her headband, she reached up to feel. It still had the gradual point on the bottom, but now had three points on top; the middle being the tallest and the other two the same. There were six small stones embedded in the headband; she guessed they were dark blue, just like the one in the front of her armor. She found her double-headed spear at her side; it had also been changed, and seemed to give off a light teal aura of power.  
  
The woman stared at her weapon as she was unknowingly being lowered slowly to the ground by her wings. Her mind was suffering from an overflow of information. She was so preoccupied that she didn't feel the physical effects until she touched ground. Then her armor shimmered, then disappeared. She fell onto one knee with one hand on the ground to steady herself. She felt exhausted to the point she decided it was time to go home. She didn't care about the bear; if it survived the fall, it would take it a while to find her.  
  
She forced herself to stand, using her spear to lift herself up off the ground and onto her feet. Her body felt like it weighed much more than it really did. Using her spear as a walking stick, she made her way back towards Furni. Her mind wandered back to her recent experience. 'Such strange armor,' she thought to herself. 'I wonder if that gemstone I found had anything to do with it...'  
  
She stopped in mid-stride, freezing as it dawned on her. The gemstone! Where was it?!  
  
She quickly turned to look behind her and see if she had dropped it. She saw the tall evergreen trees, the occasional bush, and short grass, but no gemstone. A tinge of panic settled in. She needed that gemstone if she was going to go to Denningrad and see if she couldn't find anything about it in the library.  
  
A glowing caught her eye, and she looked down to see light teal light coming from under the flap of the pouch on her belt. She sighed in relief as she reached in and pulled out the still glowing stone. The light shined on her face, and she began to feel a little bit less exhausted. "Don't scare me like that..." she muttered to the gem as she smiled. It seemed to pulse momentarily, almost as if it was happy to see her. Then the light died down and she put it back into the pouch.  
  
With new strength, she again walked back towards the Water City.  
  
~  
  
Seles was rather busy. The streets weren't packed, but it was the busiest Dart and Shana Feld had ever seen it. The town had grown a little after the damages from the Serdian War had been repaired, people and shops alike had moved in.  
  
As it was, however, that information stood irrelevant to Dart and Shana. At the moment, their minds were more focused on their task at hand, which happened to be preparing for their trip to Bale. It had been quite a while since they had received the message from Albert, and were now about to leave; all they needed now was an appropriate supply of healing potions, mind and body purifiers, and -just in case- angel's prayers. In fact, they had just finished purchasing said items before the incredibly high-pitched scream echoed though the town.  
  
No word passed between the married couple; just a glance into each other's eyes passed all the information they needed. Dart was the only one armed, and thus was the one to go check it out.  
  
Once he arrived at the scene, the swordsman surpressed a groan. In the middle of the street, nearly hyperventilating, sat a woman. She was well known for her squeamishness as well as fear of insects and reptiles, and thus explained her screaming. Nearby wiggled a small green snake, completely harmless and pinned to the ground by an upturned basket.  
  
Dart resisted the urge to hit himself upside the head. What was he thinking, actually believing that there was a need for his sword in Seles? The town was so out of the way that most people didn't even know it existed.  
  
He was distracted from his musing as a woman walked up to the snake. Seeing her long platinum hair and ruby eyes, he bet himself she was a Wingly. She picked up the snake; the woman who had screamed, by this time had been helped up to her feet, backed away. The Wingly, with the snake in her hands, began to walk calmly to exit the town, which was behind Dart.  
  
He watched her approach. He noted the sword attached to her belt and could tell by the way she walked she knew how to use it. She had an almost arrogant air about her, and he could see it in her eyes. She seemed to ignore him completely, as her eyes were looking past him. A choker necklace held a gemstone just above her collarbones.  
  
She was within a few feet of him when the stone glowed with a black shroud. At the same moment, Dart felt the little heat the Divine Dragoon Spirit gave off when it glowed, which was in his pocket. The Wingly woman quickly clamped her free hand over the stone, effectively piercing the shroud and surpressing it back into the stone. It was the only time she looked Dart in the eyes. The look was a mix between a glare and embarrassment.  
  
The eye contact broke and she walked right past him, not even moving around him to avoid their shoulders coming into contact. The impact almost pushed him to one side. She didn't stop to apologize; she just kept on walking, one hand still over the stone.  
  
He turned to watch her retreating back, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the Divine Spirit. It pulsed in his hand for a moment, then stopped glowing. Dart glanced at it, then looked back at the woman. Her hand fell away from the gem on her necklace.  
  
She had a Dragoon Spirit, he was sure of it. But as to what element it was, he didn't know. At first glance it looked like the Darkness Spirit; but the Darkness Dragoon Spirit was dark blue, and the one the Wingly had was completely black.  
  
It was at this time Shana ran up to him, her brown eyes meeting his blue as they reflected worry. She knew something was bothering him; she could see it. "Dart?"  
  
Dart looked at her for a moment, then down at the Divine Spirit, then finally at the Wingly woman's back. "Shana... That woman's a dragoon..."  
  
~  
  
The snake squirmed slightly in her hands as she walked, but she didn't mind. She had taken a roundabout route to the top of a rather steep hill that overlooked the town, and she continued down a path to a heavily forested area. She stopped near a large rock. Unbeknownst to her, it was the same rock that two warriors had hidden behind while a dragon was chasing them over a year ago, almost two. And little did she know about the figure crouched behind it, who was watching her very carefully.  
  
"Humans can be such cowards," she said to the snake. "That woman was afraid of you."  
  
The snake just wriggled in her hands, wanting to be let go.  
  
The Wingly woman sighed. "Oh well. I guess I can't help it if some people are just incredibly weak." She crouched down and let the snake slither out of her hands. It darted away into a nearby bush.  
  
The woman stood for a moment, watching where the snake had disappeared for a moment, then turned to go back home to Seles. She had only gotten a few steps away before the ground lurched beneath her, nearly lifting her off her feet. A loud noise that sounded somewhere between a roar and a growl came from behind her. She managed to stay on her feet as she pulled her sword from its scabbard, but got on one knee in case of further movement from the ground. She had turned towards the sound, sword in her hands, but she still wasn't ready for what was about to emerge from the trees.  
  
She got to her feet when she heard the heavy footsteps approaching. She held her sword at ready in front of her. Her face was set with her jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed, looking for the threat. Once she saw it, though, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.  
  
It was huge. Rearing up to its full height, its head broke though the tree line. It was completely black. It had four legs, a long tail, a long neck, and two large wings. The wings were tucked in at its sides. Even then, it was still a frightening figure.  
  
The woman took a step back, still looking terrified. The dragon towered over her, eyeing her hungrily with red eyes.  
  
It happened quite suddenly. The stone on her necklace began to glow the black shroud again, this time surprising her by how fast the shroud grew. Within a second, it had seemingly swallowed her whole, surrounding her with a blackness that made her wonder if she was even alive. A slight tingling sensation washed over her, then the darkness was seemingly absorbed back into the stone, leaving her dazed and confused as to what just happened.  
  
The dragon had stopped moving entirely. It was no longer looking at her with hungry eyes. Now it just stared at her with a look that she could only identify as shock or surprise.  
  
What it did next took her completely off guard. Like an obedient dog, it lay down, legs tucked underneath it and head on the ground just a few feet away. The ground visibly trembled as the tail rested upon the ground with a loud noise.  
  
She didn't feel it, however, because she was hovering about ten feet off the ground.  
  
She looked down to see that she really was ten feet off the ground. She didn't think her eyes could get any wider. She was proved wrong as she noticed the strange armor.  
  
Her new footwear was high-heeled and armored. Shin guards ran up to above her knees. Her legs were fitted with a tight black cloth. Armored skirting of some sort surrounded her hips. Her midsection was left bare, but the armor around her chest bulged out slightly over her heart, a large dark blue gem being held in the middle. The armor seemingly stretched up to her shoulders, where they fit comfortably yet tightly. Gloves protected her hands, while gauntlets protected her forearms and wrists. Turning her head, she saw two wings were attached to her shoulders; the wings themselves were a dark blue, just like the stone in the front of her armor. The rest of the armor was completely and utterly black; it seemed to absorb all light that touched it. Only when she saw it at an angle did she see the intricate designs that covered all of her new armor. She could feel a headband resting on her brow, but she ignored it. Instead, she raised her sword, which was also transformed and seemed to give out an aura of power.  
  
A noise brought her attention back to the dragon in front of her, which was still laying and waiting. It raised its head off the ground when she looked at it. The woman slowly reached out with her empty hand, which trembled slightly as it reached for the muzzle of the dragon just a few feet away. A few moments later, her fingertips came to a rest on the tip of its nose; a flash of understanding came upon her face. Her wings slowly lowered her to the ground; the dragon's head following as the woman's entire hand rested on its muzzle. Once she touched ground, her armor shimmered, then disappeared. She was back in her normal clothes.  
  
She felt a sudden weakness race though every fiber of her being; the aftereffects of her transformation was finally taking its toll. Her knees gave out underneath her, and she fell forward. She never hit the ground, however, because the dragon nudged its head forward enough to catch her. She landed with her body draped across the bridge of the dragon's nose like a tablecloth.  
  
She raised her head to look the dragon in its eyes, then slowly forced herself to stand. She could trust the dragon. She didn't know how she knew; she just did. She trusted the dragon and the dragon trusted her.  
  
Once she had gotten to her feet, the dragon's head whipped around to face the big rock. It began to growl, its huge claws digging into the ground and its wings shifting in preparation of flight or fight. This startled the woman for a moment, then she pulled out her sword- which had somehow found it's way back into its scabbard- and held it at ready as she faced the rock.  
  
"Who's there?!" She said it in a way that it almost sounded like a threat.  
  
Her heat beat three times before someone actually did move out from behind the rock. He appeared to be a little younger than her. He had long blonde hair that was more-or-less spiked and held up with a red headband. His icy blue eyes watched her carefully. He was wearing red armor that looked like it had been in many battles. Underneath the armor he wore a black body suit with red knee guards. Two leather belts circled his hips; a sword and scabbard attached to one. The sword didn't help his attempt to look unthreatening, as he had both hands raised in a sign of peace. He took a few steps towards them, then stopped.  
  
"Were you watching us?" The Wingly woman asked, still sounding threatening.  
  
The man hesitated for a moment, then nodded.  
  
The woman raised her sword an inch. "Then give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you where you stand."  
  
"The same reason I followed you." He was sure to keep his voice at a calm tone; the last thing he wanted to do was anger both her and the dragon. He slowly began to reach for his pocket.  
  
The dragon tensed, it's growling intensifying as it prepared to attack. The man froze, not looking scared but watching the dragon very closely.  
  
The woman risked turning her head to look at the dragon. "Easy... Easy," she murmured in a soothing tone, hoping to calm the dragon down. It worked. The dragon relaxed. About an inch. The woman turned her attention back to the man, who waited a moment before continuing his reach.  
  
He pulled out a multi-colored stone, about the same size as hers. He held it out at arm's length away from him, and it began to glow. Almost like a reaction, the stone on the woman's necklace began to glow as well. It startled her, causing her to involuntarily take a step back. The two stones glowed for a few moments, and then their glows diminished and pulsed at the same rhythm.  
  
"Do you still want to kill me?" he asked.  
  
The woman paused for a moment. "No," she said finally, putting a hand over the pulsing stone around her neck.  
  
The man put his stone away and both the stones stopped pulsing. He walked over to the woman, yet keeping one eye on the dragon, which was watching him very closely as it moved it's head next to the woman. She immediately began to pet the dragon, almost as if she had been with it for years.  
  
"I'm Dart. Dart Feld."  
  
"Elizabeth," said the woman. "So, you have one of those too?"  
  
Dart nodded. "Where'd you get yours?"  
  
"A shop in Seles. Cost me 100 gold." Elizabeth put her sword back in its scabbard. She could trust Dart. She just knew.  
  
Dart seemed to be thinking. His arms had folded across his armored chest and his eyes narrowed just the slightest bit. "Maybe she should come with us..." he mumbled to himself.  
  
Elizabeth's red eyes narrowed dangerously. "Are you talking about me?"  
  
Dart unfolded his arms. "My wife and I are going to Bale soon. You should come along."  
  
"Why?" she asked venomously.  
  
He simply reached up and tapped just above his collarbones with two fingers.  
  
She reached up and felt above her own collarbones and felt the gem.  
  
"It'll be worth it. Trust me."  
  
Her eyes un-narrowed and she looked at the dragon. It was easy to tell she was debating against herself. "I'll come," she said finally. "I don't see what good it'll do me, but I'll come."  
  
Dart smiled with a hint of accomplishment. "You won't regret it. So, what are you going to do with your dragon?"  
  
Elizabeth's head snapped to glare at Dart. She didn't really know what to do. She all of a sudden was the unwilling "owner" of a dragon. It's not that she didn't like it; she had already developed a soft spot for it; but a dragon wasn't exactly a house pet. Her glare dissolved. "I don't know," she admitted.  
  
"Well, how about a name?"  
  
She resisted the urge to glare at him again. That wasn't much easier. She had no idea what a good name for a dragon would be. What in Endiness possessed him to think a name would just pop into her head-  
  
She suddenly smiled. "Jamie."  
  
"Jamie?" he repeated.  
  
She nodded. "Jamie. I think it suits her."  
  
"Wait a minute. Your dragon's a girl? How can you tell?"  
  
She shrugged one shoulder. "I just know."  
  
Dart folded his arms across his chest. "Jamie the Black Dragon it is then." He would have finished the title, but he had no idea what element Elizabeth was. But he knew for sure that she wasn't darkness. The transformation was different. Rose was enveloped in a ball; Elizabeth transformed in a large black beam that shot down from the sky. The armor, the dragoon spirit, the transformation, the color- it was a completely different element.  
  
Elizabeth suddenly whispered something into Jamie's ear. Once she finished she gave the dragon a pat on the head before Jamie spread her giant wings and took off, disappearing in the clouds above.  
  
He watched until she disappeared, then looked at Elizabeth with one eyebrow raised.  
  
She glared at him. "None of your business," she said sharply. She then eased off the glare and spoke in a more conversational tone. "So, are we going back to Seles?"  
  
Dart nodded and unfolded his arms. "It's best if we leave as soon as possible."  
  
They both walked towards Seles, Dart waiting for her to catch up to him before walking himself.  
  
"What's the story behind these stones we have?" Elizabeth asked as she walked alongside Dart.  
  
Dart chuckled. "It's a long, *long* story."  
  
* * * *  
  
Author's note: Wow! 14 pages long! That's the longest chapter I've ever written! Let me know what you guys think, and thanks to those who helped me with Guaraha's name. Next chapter will be coming... well, sometime. I'll try to hurry. And before I forget; I'm not entirely sure I got the name of the Water City right. If someone could check that for me, I'd be thankful. 


	3. Eight Dragoons

Disclaimer: I only own the girl at the end. Elizabeth belongs to my friend.  
  
Author's note: Third chapter. Enough said.  
  
It was early morning when Dart, Elizabeth, and Shana had decided to wait for Kongol, Miranda, Meru, and Hashel in front of the weapons shop in front of Indels Castle. It wasn't long, however, before Dart felt a hand come to rest on his left shoulder. He quickly turned to see Hashel grinning at him. Beside him stood Miranda and Kongol on either side.  
  
"Dart!"  
  
Dart and Shana smiled. "Hashel! Miranda! Kongol! You made it!" exclaimed Dart.  
  
"It's good to see you two again," said Hashel, smiling. Even Miranda and Kongol had small smiles. It had been a year, and it felt good to have the dragoons come back together.  
  
Hashel noticed Elizabeth, who was watching the reunion from behind Dart and Shana. "Who's your friend?"  
  
"This is Elizabeth," said Dart as he stepped to one side so they could see her. "Elizabeth, this is Hashel, Miranda, and Kongol."  
  
They all nodded in greeting.  
  
"Where's Meru?" asked Shana.  
  
"She said she'd meet us at the castle," answered Miranda.  
  
Elizabeth's head snapped up to look at Miranda with something resembling surprise. "Castle?" she inquired.  
  
Dart nodded towards the castle nearby. "Indels Castle. We are in the capital of Serdia."  
  
Elizabeth frowned, her eyes glinting a little apprehension.  
  
"What?" asked Miranda, noticing the look. "Are you afraid of King Albert or something?"  
  
"No, of course not," she snapped as she got her looks under control.  
  
"Don't worry," said Shana with a reassuring smile. "Albert won't hate you because you're a Wingly."  
  
Elizabeth suddenly turned to look at Shana, her eyes wide. "How did you know?!"  
  
"What, that you were a Wingly?" asked Dart. "The eyes and the hair are always a dead giveaway. Besides, our friend that we're supposed to meet at the castle- Meru- she's a Wingly too."  
  
"Well... I... I still don't see why I'm supposed to see the king of Serdia."  
  
"Because," said Hashel as he turned to start towards the castle. "He's a dragoon too." He started walking. "Come on, slowpokes! Albert's waiting!"  
  
Upon their arrival, the group was immediately greeted by Minister Noish, who was all smiles. It was an unnerving sight for Elizabeth, but the rest of the dragoons assumed he was just happy to see them. They were good friends of Albert, after all.  
  
"Hello! It's good to see you all again! I hope you all had a safe trip? Good, good. We must hurry to the throne room; His Majesty Albert is waiting for you! Single file now; the hallways aren't that wide! That's better."  
  
During their walk to the throne room, Minister Noish talked the entire time until they reached the throne room doors. Once there he paused to look back at them and smile, then entered the room. The group followed and collected at the top of the stairs.  
  
Albert and Emille had both gotten up from their thrones as soon as the group had entered. Meru waited off to the side. The familiar portrait that hung on the wall between the thrones of the King and Queen of Serdia returned the dull ache to Dart's heart. Even after all this time, it still hurt; although it was no longer the vicious jolt it used to be. The portrait had the same effect on Albert as well; even moreso since he had known the knight far longer than Dart had.  
  
As it was however, the dull ache was forgotten for the moment as Albert greeted his friends with a large smile, which was unusual for him. As soon as they had gotten back to their feet after kneeling in front of the royal couple, he opened his arms in greeting.  
  
"My friends, please! Stop with the formalities! We know each other too well! You are my guests and dearest friends!" He lowered his arms, but the smile remained.  
  
It was at this point the other dragoons began to realize something was up. Albert was being much too happy; it had only been a year since they had last seen him. Surely he hadn't missed them THAT much.  
  
However, they didn't mention their suspicions, as Meru took this time to run to the group to greet them.  
  
"You made it!" she exclaimed as she beamed excitedly. Her eyes traveled along the familiar smiling faces, then stopped when she saw Elizabeth. "Who's she?"  
  
Dart turned to look at the Wingly woman. "This is Elizabeth. I met her in Seles. She went with Shana and I when we came here. Elizabeth, this is Meru, Albert, and Emille."  
  
"Hi!" chirped Meru enthusiastically.  
  
Albert was still smiling that larger-than-usual smile, which was then beginning to creep Elizabeth, along with everyone else, out. "Any friend of Dart's is a friend of mine."  
  
Emille smiled; nowhere near as large as her husbands, but still looking genuine. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth. You are free to stay here with the others, if you'd like."  
  
Elizabeth nodded her thanks. "Thank you, your Highness."  
  
"There's another reason I brought her here," spoke up Dart. Everyone looked at him. He simply looked at Elizabeth. "Take off your necklace and show them."  
  
She reached around her neck and undid the latch to her choker, gathering the stone and chain into the palm of her hand and held it out for everyone to see.  
  
Meru leaned in closer to see better. Her eyes widened slightly. "Well... it... looks like a Dragoon Spirit," she said quietly, almost as if she couldn't believe it.  
  
"Watch," said Dart, then he pulled out his Dragoon Spirit. It began to glow with its own golden color, while the spirit Elizabeth held glowed with a black shroud. A beat of silence passed, and Meru pulled out her own, which let off a blue light. Hashel and Kongol followed, brown and violet lights being added to the room. Albert pulled out his spirit as well, green light erupting from the stone in his hand. Finally Miranda joined them, the white light adding the finishing touch to the scene. Everyone in the room was bathed in light.  
  
Eventually everyone but Elizabeth put their spirits away, leaving the Wingly to hold her gem in her hand. There were a few moments of silence where everyone stared at the stone in her hand. Even Albert's smile had given way to the curiosity in his eyes. Meru finally broke the silence.  
  
"That sure doesn't look like the darkness spirit..."  
  
"It's not," confirmed Dart as he watched the stone. "I've watched her transform. It's not the same element at all."  
  
"Then, what element is it?" asked Miranda.  
  
"I don't know," he admitted as he shook his head and looked at the collection of people around him. "But that's not what worries me. What does worry me is what it means."  
  
Everyone but Elizabeth and Emille understood him immediately. According to the books they read in the library in Denningrad, the seven dragoons gather together when Endiness itself is threatened. Was this new element a replacement for Rose and the darkness element?  
  
The tension was broken suddenly as Albert smiled again, almost scaring everyone but Emille. "Well, we'll certainly have enough time to worry about that tomorrow! We still have much to do before tonight! Now if you'll all follow me, I'll show you to your rooms!"  
  
Emille quietly sighed and shook her head with a smile as she watched Albert leave the throne room with his friends following him. She truly did love that man, but his reaction to the news was a bit odd. She was glad he took it so well; it certainly could have been worse.  
  
"And down this hall is where your rooms are," said Albert, still smiling that almost-scary smile.  
  
By now, the dragoons had begun to wonder what exactly made Albert that way. While he was guiding them through the castle, they had held a whispered conference and immediately volunteered Dart to ask.  
  
"Albert? Are you feeling okay?" asked Dart after he was pushed by everyone else so he was the closest to Albert. "Because you seem a bit... overly happy."  
  
Albert looked at his friends, the smile still remaining. "Well, I was going to wait until the party tonight to announce it, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell someone else besides Noish. You see..." He paused, searching for a way to word what had happened. After a few moments, he resumed. "Before you arrived, Emille informed me that in about seven months..." He trailed off again, looking for all he was worth like he was trying to think of a way to word it appropriately. After a few more moments, he tossed his hands into the air in defeat. "I give up. We're going to have a baby!"  
  
There was a long moment of silence. It made perfect sense to them now. Albert had the same reaction as many expectant fathers do after they hear the big news: happy and excited beyond belief. It explained Minister Noish's odd behavior as well.  
  
"Well then," said Hashel as he made his way to the front beside Dart. "Let us be one of the first to congratulate you!"  
  
"Thank you!" said Albert as he accepted the handshakes and congratulations from all his friends.  
  
The Ballroom was an addition to the castle that Albert had insisted upon once he was married, claiming that he now had a reason to use it. It was a large room that included a large dance floor, long tables lined with food, and more tables nearby for the guests to sit and eat. Virtually everyone was invited; it was to celebrate the salvation of the world from destruction, after all.  
  
Many people came, including Lavitz's mother, who was greeted by Albert himself. At first, she just stayed seated on the side. But eventually, Hashel coaxed her out for a dance.  
  
Meru looked like she was having as much fun as she was at the party in Fletz. She danced in a similar way and was getting just as much attention. No one could really tell her otherwise, since she was one of the guests of honor. Besides, she was a great source of entertainment for those not dancing.  
  
Kongol stayed by the food tables, just like in Fletz. There were no dancing partners his size, and he felt pretty sure the floor wouldn't have been able to withstand his weight along with everyone else's.  
  
Dart and Shana had eventually gotten out on the dance floor. At one point they had met up with Albert and Emille, who were also dancing. When the two men could see each other, Dart gave his royal friend a slight shrug with one shoulder and a half smile; which, when translated, meant, "She got me." Albert just gave him a knowing smile, which meant, "You're such a liar. You wanted to dance."  
  
Miranda stayed on the side and avoided dancing. Many men asked her to dance, and they were all turned down with anything from a curt shake of her head to a harsh word. Elizabeth stayed with her, occasionally engaging in conversation and turning down any requests to dance.  
  
Halfway though the evening, there was a pause between songs where Albert and Emille stood at the front of the room and Albert announced that they would be expecting. It was met with much applause from the guests, along with many saying they would have brought a gift if they had only known.  
  
The night came to a close at about ten; the guests went home and the dragoons turned in for the night. Emille, however, stayed awake to help make sure the food was put away properly. Even though there were many people there, there was still quite a bit of food left. By the time they finished, it was well past midnight. Emille was sure that Albert would be in bed and asleep by now. Much to her surprise, however, she opened the door to their bedroom to find her husband sitting in his desk across the room, reading by candlelight.  
  
She knew she shouldn't be surprised. Albert did this often; sometimes in his study, sometimes in their bedroom. One time he stayed up in his study for gods knew how long, reading a book of poetry. When Emille woke up the next morning, he was already up and in the throne room, and sitting on his pillow was a poem he had written the night before for her.  
  
Emille, curious as to what Albert was reading tonight, quietly walked over to him and peered over his right shoulder. After reading a little bit of it herself, she came to the conclusion that he was reading a book about the Dragon Campaign over 11,000 years ago. He must have been absorbed into the book, since he didn't react to the sound of her entering the room. She gently touched his shoulder, which twitched slightly under her hand. Alerted of her presence, he turned his head to look at her and offer her a wan smile. It didn't work, however; she saw the way his brow was furrowed a little.  
  
This, in turn, worried her. "Something's worrying you, Albert. What's the matter?"  
  
He sighed and turned back to his book, the smile fading. "The woman that came with Dart this morning- Elizabeth- she has a Dragoon Spirit, just like my friends and I. But hers... We've never seen anything like it. It's almost as if it just appeared out of thin air. According to the legend, the seven dragon warriors would gather when the world is threatened. I fear that Elizabeth's appearance with her Dragoon Spirit means that I may need to leave again. Should I have to be gone for too long..." He let his voice fade, the sentence finishing itself. If he had to be gone for too long, he would miss the birth of his child.  
  
The very thought frightened Emille. It was going to be a very difficult time for her, and she wanted Albert to be there; it was his child, after all.  
  
Albert slowly got to his feet, closing the book as he did. He looked tired in both the physical and emotional sense. This would be the most difficult decision he had had to make so far. Should he go out, save the world, and possibly get killed? Or stay here with his wife to be sure he was there for her when she gave birth?  
  
Emille slowly walked over to her husband, stopping just in front of him and letting her hands come to rest on his chest just below his collarbones. She looked up into his tired soft brown eyes. "If you are needed, then you have to go. I can't keep you from what you must do."  
  
His eyes softened. He knew how hard this choice was for her; she knew that it was likely he would never come back home alive. He would never see their child being born and growing up. And yet, she was still letting him go.  
  
"Emille..." he started, but never finished. Emille put her hand up to his lips, silencing him. A moment passed before she lowered her hand back to his chest, resting her head underneath his neck. His warm embrace followed; and both husband and wife stood, contemplating what fate had in store for them and their unborn child.  
  
Later the next morning, the dragoons were gathered in a conference room on the second level of the castle. The room was bare except a few tapestries that hung on the walls and a large table in the middle of the room with chairs surrounding it. Eight serious faces surrounded the table as Albert summarized their situation.  
  
"It's been a year after the second and final defeat of Melbu Frahma. Sometime before our reunion, Elizabeth had come to have a Dragoon Spirit in her possession. None of us know what element it is. Dart, you've seen her transform into a Dragoon, correct?"  
  
Dart nodded. "The light from her spirit gathered into a beam that shot into the sky, which came back down around her, then disappeared back in the spirit."  
  
"And her armor didn't look anything like Rose's?"  
  
"No."  
  
Albert nodded. "According to the legend, when the world in threatened, the seven Dragoons will come together. When we lost Rose, we were down to six. But now with Elizabeth, we have seven again. Any ideas as to what we should do?"  
  
"'What we should do?'" repeated Miranda "I say we go out, find the threat, and take care of it."  
  
"It seems like that's the only action we can take," Shana agreed quietly.  
  
"Now wait a minute," said Hashel, putting both hands in the air to keep himself from being interrupted. "Albert- you said that you and Emille are expecting a baby soon. You shouldn't be just up and leaving at a time like this," he reasoned. "I'm all for finding the threat, but if this journey is anything like the last one, you could very easily end up not coming home at all."  
  
The king sighed. "Emille and I discussed this last night. She cannot stall the baby, and it's my duty as a Dragoon to accompany you."  
  
Meru, silent until now, turned to Kongol. "What do you think, Kongol?"  
  
The Giganto leaned back in his chair, careful not to break it. "Friend Albert King need to stay and wait for baby," he said as he looked at his friends. "But evil might not wait that long."  
  
"He's got a point," said Meru.  
  
"I agree," said Albert. "Seven months is much too long. We don't know how fast the threat is approaching. For all we know, it could have already arrived."  
  
Shana turned to her husband. "What about you, Dart? What do you think we should do?"  
  
Dart propped his elbows on the table, his hands folded as he leaned forward slightly. They were all looking at him as if they were all waiting for him to give an order. There they go, acting like he was a leader again. Why don't they ever look at Albert like that; he's a king for crying out loud.  
  
"I don't like the thought of Albert leaving Emille either. But this has to be done. We never know when we'll need Rose Storm."  
  
"And you, Elizabeth?" asked Albert.  
  
The Wingly woman sat leaning forward with her elbows resting on the table, her arms folded. She almost had a casual look to her. "It's not up to me. From what I'm hearing, Dragoons are supposed to stay together. And since I'm the reason you guys are making this choice, I'll follow you."  
  
Albert nodded. "Very well then. It's unanimous," he announced as his gaze swept over his friends. "By a vote of six to one, we go. Any suggestions on when we leave?"  
  
"Seven and a half months from now." Everyone avoided giving Hashel a strange look. Sooner or later they'd find out why he was so against leaving, and then it would make sense. Hopefully.  
  
"How about tomorrow?" offered Dart. "We could use the rest of today to prepare."  
  
There was a general murmur of agreement around the room.  
  
"Seems reasonable," agreed Albert. "Any other suggestions?"  
  
No other voices arose. Hashel kept quiet; he knew they wouldn't accept his idea to leave after the baby was born.  
  
"It's agreed then," announced Albert as he stood up. "For the remainder of the day, we prepare as we see fit."  
  
Miranda, Meru, and Elizabeth left the castle shortly after the meeting and headed towards the weapons shop in Bale. With breakfast over, many women were out buying food for their next meal, so the streets were fairly busy.  
  
"You're going to learn a lot," Miranda commented to Elizabeth.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well; first of all, you're going to have to learn how to use that," the Sacred Sister said as she pointed to the black Dragoon Spirit around the Wingly's neck.  
  
She subconsciously placed a hand over the gem, shooting a glare in Miranda's direction. "Well obviously."  
  
"It might take a while to get used to it," commented the younger Wingly that was with them. "But when you do it's totally awesome!" She hopped in front of them, keeping pace yet staying out of arm's reach should they decide she was annoying them. Her hair bounced wildly in her steps.  
  
Miranda stopped in front of the shop door and her companions stopped also. She turned to face Elizabeth directly. One corner of her mouth had quirked upwards as she folded her arms across her chest. "And if this adventure ends the same way as the last one did, it'll be a fight you'll never forget."  
  
"Fight-?!"  
  
Elizabeth never finished her sentence, as the door to the weapons shop suddenly flung open, a woman stumbling out and colliding into the Wingly. Miranda sidestepped, avoiding the falling bodies without unfolding her arms.  
  
Meru quickly bent down to help the woman while Elizabeth declined Mirnda's help and got up on her own.  
  
"What is it with people and running into me?!" fumed Elizabeth as she dusted herself off.  
  
The other woman mumbled apologies and something about someone running into her in the shop while she dusted herself off. She had long blonde hair that was in a loose ponytail, which was then secured in a braid. Her teal and tan outfit was a little dusty. When she finished dusting herself off, she reached into a pouch on her belt. "Ugh! Not again!" Her blue-green eyes then began to frantically search for something on the ground.  
  
"Loose something?" asked Meru, hoping to be helpful.  
  
"Yes, a light-teal gem that I found in the forest back at home... There!" She reached down and snatched something off the ground and held it up to inspect it for damages in the sunlight. "Got it. Thanks anyway."  
  
Meru suddenly tugged on Miranda's arm, her ruby red eyes wide. She jumped and pointed at the gem in the woman's hand. "Look Miranda! Another one!"  
  
Even as the young Wingly spoke, the gem began to glow with a light teal light. At the same moment, the spirit around Elizabeth's neck began to glow as well. Meru and Miranda felt the familiar pulse of energy as their spirits joined in.  
  
The woman looked very surprised. She had never seen another gem like hers that glowed, nor did she expect she would ever find one. She quickly put it back into her pouch, seemingly embarrassed of the glowing gem.  
  
Meru suddenly grabbed her wrist, startling her. "Come on! We have to take you to see King Albert right now!"  
  
That scared her. She had never been around royalty before, and she wasn't sure how to act around them. She was sure she didn't look appropriate; surprised, bewildered, and, since she couldn't get all of the dust off of her clothes, she probably looked dirty as well. "THE King Albert?! But why- Whoa!!"  
  
Without another word, Meru suddenly took off, still tightly holding onto her wrist; sprinting for the castle with the woman in tow and Miranda and Elizabeth following.  
  
Author's note: Whew. Ten pages. I really stretched that chapter out, didn't I? Next chapter coming... Eventually... 


	4. Being Watched

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone who was ever in the game.  
  
Author's note: This chapter's probably going to be pretty short; fair warning.  
  
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Deep in Mayfil, where neither mortal nor spirit dare tread, lay a huge cavern. The walls and ceiling were rounded and bare, save a row of unlit torches circling the ceiling. In the middle of the cavern, a small pool of water stood elevated three feet above the floor in a basin made of rock. The pool of water was three feet in diameter, and the water was clear.  
  
There was a sudden foom as light filled the cavern, the torches on the ceiling suddenly lighting, seemingly by themselves. Two figures suddenly appear on opposite sides of the pool of water, facing each other.  
  
They were both wearing long cloaks that reached the floor, hoods casting a shadow upon their faces. The cloaked figure standing closest to the entrance of the cavern wore white, while the other wore black. After a few moments they spoke, male and female voices echoed around the cave.  
  
"Show us the chosen ones."  
  
They both looked down into the pool of water as the surface of the liquid changed from clear to a flat gray. Then an image appeared; fuzzy and unclear at first, then the image sharpened and colors became more defined.  
  
The two figures were watching the conference room inside Indel's castle, where eight people sat at a table. Two Winglies, both female, and a male Giganto were among them. The two figures, however, kept their attention on the older female Wingly and the Human woman with her hair in a braid.  
  
"Interesting," said the figure in black, his voice deep with a slight echo. "Life has chosen a Human for her cause."  
  
The figure in white looked up at him, her female voice echoing though the cave. "At least I chose one who has no family that has not been taken by Death."  
  
"And in that way, I have helped you. But it should not matter; they are both merely tools, and will be disposed of once their objective is complete."  
  
"Yes," agreed Life as she looked back down onto the image. "It is their only purpose now. Their lives for the lives of many." The hood tilted to one side slightly as the King of Serdia entered the conference room, looking a bit annoyed. "The unborn heir to the throne; it senses something is wrong."  
  
"Naturally, as the Queen is distressed. Her king is leaving on a dangerous journey; she knows he could very well lose his life."  
  
"Which will not happen, correct?"  
  
Death nodded. "Correct. I will not take the life of royalty during this period of time. Their cooperation may be needed. Falkor will be a very difficult opponent for the Dragoons to defeat; they will need all the help they can get."  
  
"I agree."  
  
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Author's note: Meh. Short chapter. Okay; incredibly short chapter. Next one is coming soon. 


	5. I will do every thing in my power to com...

Disclaimer: Same disclaimer as the third chapter. Do you have any idea how annoying those are to write?

Author's note: Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

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It was a mad rush once they reached the castle. Meru burst though the doors, shouting that she needed to see Albert right then; it was urgent. Servants and guards alike scattered, searching for the king. Each of the Dragoons were inquired as to his location, which resulted in all of the Dragoons except Meru, Miranda, and Elizabeth looking for him. He was found in the Throne Room by Kongol and two guards.

It took a while for the whole mess to be sorted out. Albert eventually met with the other Dragoons in the conference room, being the last to enter and sit down. He looked a little annoyed, since everyone he met in the hallway on his way there had the exact same message for him.

"Well Meru; what did you find so terribly important that you nearly threw the entire castle into chaos?"

She gave him a faint sheepish smile. "Sorry, Al. I didn't think that would happen. But it really is important." She turned to the blonde woman sitting next to her whose name she didn't know. "Take out your Dragoon Spirit."

The woman stared at her blankly and blinked. She was suddenly rushed to the castle, forced to meet the king (who looked a tad bit annoyed) and sit at a table surrounded by strangers (some who looked like they had been in a lot of tough fights- and won) and now the person that dragged her here was telling her to take out something she had no idea was. "What?"

Miranda rolled her eyes in impatience. "The thing you almost lost earlier."

"Oh." She reached into her pouch and pulled out the light teal gem. Several of the people present leaned forward to get a closer look.

"It certainly looks like one," said Hashel.

"Just wait," said Meru as she reached for her Dragoon Spirit. "Watch this." She pulled out her spirit, and both of the gems glowed. Everyone except the two females leaned back slightly as the two lights brightened, then faded down to synchronized pulsing. After a few moments, Meru put the blue Dragoon Spirit away. The woman followed and put hers away as well.

"Okay," said Elizabeth, running a hand through her hair. "We know that seven Dragoons means Endiness is in danger. What does eight mean?"

Albert shook his head. "I don't think anything like this had ever happened before. There's no record of eight Dragoons. There's always been seven. And there's always been the same seven elements as well."

Dart leaned forward slightly, his forearms resting on the table. "Could the eighth Dragoon have some sort of superior power? Or maybe is a sign of someone worse than Melbu?"

Hashel shook his head. "I don't know; Melbu was pretty bad."

"Long fight," agreed Kongol.

"I don't think anyone could be worse," said Meru as she nodded her head.

"What if extra Dragoon is to help?" asked Kongol. "More power to help fight evil?"

Miranda nodded. "Could be. It makes sense."

"Excuse me?"

Everyone looked at the source of the almost timid sounding voice: the woman with the light teal Dragoon Spirit.

"I didn't want to have to interrupt-" She kept one wary eye on Albert. She felt so awkward, having to talk to the King of Serdia and his associates. "-But I have no idea what the rest of you are talking about."

Albert, apparently noticing her discomfort, offered her a small apologetic smile. "I apologize. It has been a bit tense here recently. What is your name?"

"Verona. I'm from Furni."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Verona. I am Albert, the king of Serdia; but you may call me Albert."

"I'm Dart. I live in Seles," said the blonde swordsman as he nodded.

The woman sitting between Dart and Albert smiled. "I'm his wife. I'm Shana."

"Kongol," said the giant sitting on the other side of Albert.

"I'm Hashel. Kongol lives with me in Rouge." He gestured towards the Giganto sitting next to him.

"Miranda," said the blonde three seats from Verona's right. "I live in Denningrad."

"I'm Elizabeth," said the platinum haired woman sitting next to the Sacred Sister. "I'm from Seles."

"And I'm Meru!" said the young lady sitting in the chair to Verona's right. "I don't really have a home; I travel a lot."

Verona nodded, looking at Meru. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Well, first of all," said Dart, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back in his chair. "Do you know anything about the Dragon Campaign?"

"A little. It was a war between Humans and Winglies over 11,000 years ago."

"That's it?" asked Dart as one eyebrow arched.

She nodded.

"Well, there were seven reincarnations of dragons loyal to Emperor Diaz. Seven humans could become Dragon Knights- Dragoons- when they call upon the power of their Dragoon Spirits. Each spirit is based on an element. Now keep in mind that all living beings are also based on an element, which has to match the same element of a Dragoon Spirit for them to become a Dragon Knight. For example, I'm a fire element, and I used to be the Dragoon of the Red-Eyed Dragon; the Dragoon of Fire."

"I'm a light element, and I used to be the Dragoon of the White Silver Dragon, or the Dragoon of Light," said Shana.

"And I am wind," said Albert as he took out the green Dragoon Spirit.

"I'm thunder," said Hashel as he pulled out his violet Dragoon Spirit, which made both his and Albert's glow.

"Water!" grinned Meru as she pulled out hers, a blue glow being cast into the room.

"Earth." A brown glow came into the room as Kongol held out his brown spirit.

A white light appeared. "I got the Light Dragoon Spirit after Shana lost it," said Miranda.

"I lost my Fire Dragoon Spirit," continued Dart. "And I got another one. The Divine Dragoon Spirit. It doesn't have an element." He took out the multi-colored stone, which began to glow a golden color.

After a few moments, everyone put their spirits away.

"Most elements have an opposite. Fire and water, earth and wind, darkness and light. Thunder doesn't have an opposite. Void is no element. Any questions?"

"Just a few," replied Verona as she shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "You said that you used to be the Dragoon of Fire, and that there is a darkness element. What happened to those Dragoon Spirits?"

A heavy silence hung in the air, and she began to wonder if she had asked the wrong question.

"It's… a long story. I'll tell you later when we have more time. What's your next question?"

"Do you know what element my Dragoon Spirit is?"

Dart shook his head. "You and Elizabeth have spirits we've never seen before. We don't know what elements they are. We might find out eventually though."

"I have a question for you, Verona," said Albert, his hands folded and resting on the table. "Have you used your Dragoon Spirit yet?"

She nodded. "Well, at least I think I have."

"Can you tell us what happened?"

"I was out hunting when a wounded bear tried to attack me. I tripped on a tree root and hit my head on a rock. I was knocked out for a few seconds, but by then the bear was almost on me. Then this light teal light surrounded me, and the next thing I knew I was hovering at the treetops. There was a flash a light, and there was what looked like five ghosts of soldiers hovering in front of me. They swooped down at the bear and tossed it to the other side of the forest. Then they floated back to me, bowed, and disappeared."

"And then what happened?"

"I finally got a good look at myself. I was suddenly wearing strange light teal armor with dark blue stones embedded in the headband and one in the front. I had dark blue wings; even my spear had changed."

It was then Albert noticed the double-headed spear leaning against the wall just behind her. It was mainly the color of steel, but designs of some sort- flames? Wisps of wind?- started at both ends and the middle, teal in color.

"May I see your spear?" he asked.

Verona nodded. She stood up, took her spear, walked to Albert, and carefully handed him the weapon.

He handled it with great respect. It was well made, and well kept; the tips and edges of both heads were sharp and clean. "It's beautiful," he commented with a hint of awe in his voice.

"It used to be my grandfather's. It's the only thing I have to remember him by."

Albert nodded as he gave her back her spear. She walked back to her seat and leaned it back against the wall.

"Well," said Albert as he leaned forward slightly, his forearms resting on the table. "Verona certainly seems to be a new Dragoon. Question is: should we let her join us on our journey?"

"I say we should," said Meru. "She has a Dragoon Spirit, she's transformed into a Dragoon, I think she's good enough."

"We could always use the help," agreed Shana.

"How she in battle?" asked Kongol.

"Can you fight?" asked Miranda, turning to Verona.

She shrugged. "I've been a huntress back in Furni since I was fifteen. My grandfather was a hunter and he taught me everything I know."

"I think that sounds good enough," nodded Hashel as he leaned back in his chair.

There was a general murmur of agreement from around the table. Verona, however, had a question.

"What kind of journey are you planning on going on?"

"Oh, just some basic stuff," said Hashel, grinning. "Traveling together, sleeping under the stars, battling monsters, saving the world…"

"Not going to be easy," said Dart, shaking his head. "There'll be plenty of opportunities for you to end up dead. During the journey we took almost two years ago, there were a lot of close calls where we all almost died. Besides that, it may be a long time before we even find out what's threatening Endiness."

"So," concluded Miranda. "You could either join us, risk death and help save the world-"

"Or," added Elizabeth. "Run back home to Furni like a coward."

"The legend does say," offered Shana. "That the Dragoons would gather when Endiness is threatened. I'd say we're about as gathered as we're going to get."

Verona looked at each of the Dragoons carefully. "I don't see why I shouldn't. It's not like I have a family waiting for me anyway."

Albert smiled. "We're a bit of an odd bunch, but I'm sure you'll eventually get used to us. We leave tomorrow. Use the rest of today to prepare."

----

"This is the Throne Room."

After the Dragoons had met in the conference room the second time, Albert had asked Dart to give Verona a tour of the castle since he would be busy putting things in order before he would leave the next day.

"It's where I first met Albert and Noish almost two years ago. Of course, that was before Albert was married. He met his wife Emille during our last adventure. That door leads to his study; nothing in there except a desk, chair, and lots of books. There's a slide in there too; but don't tell Albert I told you about it. He gets embarrassed whenever someone mentions it." Dart chuckled. "He's been the king since he was six, I'm not surprised he still has that slide. Anyway, behind us is a balcony that has a great view of the city and the mountains…"

Verona only heard the first half of what he said about the balcony, because that was when she noticed the portrait hanging on the wall between the two thrones. She took a step towards it, trying to get a closer look.

The man appeared to be slightly older than her. He had short blonde hair that stuck out a little towards the front, but otherwise was swept back. Green cloth under steel-colored armor with the crest of Serdia showed he was a knight. He looked rather handsome.

"Dart?" She didn't take her eyes off the portrait. "Who is this?"

Dart turned from the balcony. "What?"

"This portrait; who is it of?"

Dart walked up to her, the smile from his earlier chuckle gone. A hint of sadness appeared in his blue eyes as an old pain resurfaced. "His name was Lavitz Slambert. He used to be the Head of the First Knighthood. He was the Wind Dragoon before Albert. They were close friends since they were kids. He was a good friend of mine too."

"What happened to him?" She still hadn't moved her eyes from the portrait.

"He was impaled through the heart protecting Albert. I was the last person he spoke to; he died in my arms."

She finally pried her eyes from the picture and turned to look at Dart. "You were there?"

He nodded. "Shana and Hashel were there too. It was a long time ago; almost two years."

Her eyes softened. She could see how much this man's death had affected him. She could see in his eyes how much it still hurt. "Oh. I'm sorry."

Dart shook his head, the sadness in his eyes disappearing. "Don't be. There's no point in being sorry now. It happened in the past, and there's nothing we can do about it. I've… already forgiven the man that killed him." He paused, looking at the picture for a moment longer before turning towards the stairs. "Come on, we've still got most of the castle to go."

They both turned to leave. As they started down the steps, Verona couldn't help but to stop and look over her shoulder a moment, glancing at the portrait one more time before following Dart.

----

After everyone had gotten a proper amount of items, most wrote letters to their homes, letting their friends and families know of the sudden change of plans. Shana wrote to her parents back in Seles. Miranda wrote to Queen Theresa and the other Sacred Sisters in the Crystal Palace. Hashel wrote to the Mayor of Rouge. When they were finished, the letters were given to Albert who made sure they were sent.

That night everyone went to bed fairly early, although it was a while before anyone actually fell asleep. The thought of the perilous journey ahead hung over them like a looming dark storm cloud.

Shana stood in front the window in her and her husband's room, brushing out her hair as she took it out of it's regular ponytail. Her eyes wandered over buildings below, taking in the sight of a city coming to rest. Dart appeared behind her, watching the city with his wife. They were silent for a few moments, and then Dart spoke.

"Shana? Are you sure you want to come with me tomorrow?"

She nodded slowly, not averting her gaze as she lowered the brush to her side. "I'm sure. Just as sure as I was after you rescued me from Hellena. It hasen't changed, Dart. I don't care where we are; as long as I'm with you."

"I know," he said, his eyes reflecting the lights of the city as he looked at his wife. "I just don't want you to get hurt." He put an arm around her. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you…"

Shana just smiled as she turned to face him completely, putting both her arms around his waist with her brush still in her hand, resting her head on his unarmored chest. "You'd find someway to save me, like you did when I was poisoned."

Dart smiled faintly, putting his other arm around his wife and holding her close. "Yeah. You're right."

They stood for an unknown amount of time, simply holding each other as their minds wandered towards the future, wondering how much more time they had together with the battles ahead.

----

Albert and Emille had already settled in for bed, but sleep refused to come. Their hearts were heavy with the knowledge of the impending events. With Albert's leaving and Emille due to have their baby in seven months; they didn't know what would happen in the future. Would Albert be back in time for the baby's birth? Would he come home alive at all?

Emille suddenly sat up, her eyes wide and her voice urgent and alarmed, but still somehow in a whisper. "Albert!…"

The king of Serdia sat up quickly at the sound of his wife's voice, alarmed at the tone of urgency. Her face was illuminated by the moonlight pouring in from the open curtains across the room, the wide blue eyes staring at seemingly nothing. His voice was similar to hers in the fact that it had the same tone of urgency, but yet somehow remained a whisper. "What? What is it?"

There was a moment of silence before she shook her head slightly. "I-it's nothing. Never mind."

"What is it? You can tell me," he said gently as he put a hand on her arm.

She turned her head to face him, putting a hand to her head. "I suddenly had a horrible feeling, like something terrible is going to happen." She removed her hand and placed it over Albert's on her arm. "I wish you didn't have to go! It's just so unfair!"

Albert attempted a small smile for her as he gently clasped his hands around hers. "It's all right, Emille. I can take care of myself out there. All you need to worry about is taking care of Serdia for me while I'm away. You don't need to worry about anything else."

Emille lowered her head, hiding her eyes behind her hair. "But… I know that I am going to worry about you. Every day you will be gone I'll wonder where you are, how many battles you have been in, whether or not-" She swallowed and her voice thickened with emotion. "-my baby still has a father…" Her hand began to tremble in his.

Sensing her distress, her husband gently put a hand to the side of her face and lowered his head so their foreheads were touching. "Shhh…" he soothed quietly. "Don't say anything more. Just rest…"

----

The next morning, the Dragoons stood in the Throne Room, ready to leave. They all stood in their armor, weapons at their sides and provisions from the castle's kitchen in their packs. All they needed to do was plan their route before heading out.

"We should stop at Fletz in Tiberoa," said Albert. "Neither King Zior nor Princess Lisa were able to attend the party the other day. I'm sure they would like to know that Emille and I are expecting."

"Could we stop by the Evergreen Forest too?" asked Meru as she tightened her usual ponytail. "I told Guaraha I'd come back after the party."

"So we'll stop in Fletz, then the Evergreen Forest," nodded Hashel. "Anybody else want to go somewhere?"

No one said anything. Everyone but Elizabeth and Verona knew that they would most likely visit every continent in Endiness before their journey would end.

Albert nodded. "We can stop in Lohan to get any supplies we couldn't find here."

"Are we ready?" asked Dart, looking at his friends as they nodded.

When the blonde swordsman looked at his royal companion, the king of Serdia ran a quick mental check. Items and provisions were in his pack over his shoulders, his javelin was…

Not there?

He looked around him for it, but to no avail.

"You all can go ahead. I'll join you at the city limits. I seem to have misplaced my javelin."

Dart nodded and was the first to leave, followed by Shana, Miranda, Hashel, Kongol, Meru, Elizabeth, and Verona. Albert last remembered leaving his weapon in his study, so he quickly ascended the small flight of steps and entered the door in the side of the room.

There was a good strong breeze up on the walkway leading to his study, and he suddenly had a strong urge to just stop and take a moment to do something he rarely ever had time to do: stop moving and enjoy a moment to himself. He obliged and rested his forearms on the guardrail, looking out and letting his eyes wander over the rooftops of Bale. His own element surrounded him and pushed his light brown hair; well, the amount of it that wasn't secured in his ponytail, at least; out of place.

How long ago had his reign begun? How many years had it been since King Carlos, with his dying breath, passed the crown to his son, who was a mere six years of age? How much time had passed since the Moon Gem was removed from the deceased king's body and placed into his own?

He subconsciously put a hand on his chest, over the scar that showed where the Moon Gem had been surgically implanted into him. The scar had never fully healed for some reason; it had faded somewhat, but was still visible. The gem's removal was the complete opposite; there was no mark on his back that signified that the gem had passed through. Although it certainly felt like it had been surgically removed; the pain was so great, he couldn't help but to scream in painful agony.

Movement in the corner of his vision brought his attention to the front of the castle. His eight friends emerged from the large doors, proceeding their way through the town to wait for him at the other side.

The sight reminded him of the reason he was out on the walkway in the first place, and he continued his way to his study.

He emerged into the room to see Emille standing in front of the window facing the city, turning to face him as he entered. His javelin was in her hands, its head pointing straight upwards at the ceiling. Her husband moved to stand beside her as she looked up into his eyes. They were sad and worried, almost pleading.

"Please be careful, Albert. I know you can protect yourself, but I can't forget about my premonition last night. Something terrible is going to happen. I just know it."

In an attempt to calm her nerves, he gave her a warm smile and took both of her hands in his. He didn't want his wife to stress over him, their baby, and running Serdia while he was away; it couldn't possibly be good for her and their child's health. "Don't worry. I will do every thing in my power to come home alive. I promise."

Her blue eyes searched his soft brown for a moment longer, then she sighed quietly and lowered her head in defeat. She let him take his javelin from her grip.

He gently lifted her chin, making her look up at him. He still smiled at her warmly. "Be brave, and remember that I will always love you." He gave her a small kiss on her forehead before leaving. The queen of Serdia stayed at the window, watching her husband walk down the street until he disappeared behind a building.

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Author's note: Whew. That took me a while. Lots of Albert/Emille sweetness in there. More to come too. Anyway, the Dragoons are finally out on their adventure to save the world. Again. Next chapter coming eventually.


	6. On The Road Again

Disclaimer: I only own Verona, the thieves, and the townspeople. Elizabeth belongs to one of my friends. Otherwise, I don't own anything.

Author's note: -hums "On the Road Again", then stops when she notices everyone staring at her- What?

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They traveled through the thick forest like area of Serdia for a few hours, the seven original Dragoons conversing about the memories of their past journey. Elizabeth and Verona learned a lot about each individual Dragoon by just listening. However, they had just gotten to the part where they had rescued Emille before Kongol abruptly stopped, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

Everyone else stopped, the expressions on their faces of curiosity and concern.

"What is it?" asked Dart as he took a step towards his large friend.

"Kongol smell… something." He turned and pointed to a large mass of branches and leaves that blocked their view of what was behind it. "It coming from there."

The Dragoons approached the mass of leaves and Dart pushed the branches apart; exposing what was behind it.

"Look! A trail!" exclaimed Meru as she pointed.

Indeed it was a trail, for much of the leaves and branches had been cut away to form a path straight through the forest. The plants and grass underfoot had been trampled down and what seemed to be footprints of multiple people had imprinted in the resulting mass.

"Footprints and everything." Hashel turned to Kongol, this regular smile in place. "Good work Kongol! I don't think we would've caught it without you."

The earlier small smile reappeared on Kongol's face.

Verona stepped carefully into the trail, crouching slightly as she held up a leaf to inspect it closely. She saw it was cut clean in half, and what appeared to be a streak of blood above the cut. She gently touched the red spot with her forefinger and looked at it. It was still wet, so it must have been left there recently. She gently rubbed her thumb and forefinger together. Definitely blood.

She stood up and approached Dart. "Look what I found."

Dart looked and his brow furrowed slightly. "Where did you find it?"

"On a leaf over there," she said as she pointed towards the leaf.

The other Dragoons entered the trail, filing in one at a time, since that was all there was room for.

"It's about the right height for a human hand," she said, holding up the leaf.

Albert followed the footprints that led deeper into the forest with his eyes. His Warrior's Sense was urging him forward; it was telling him to follow the trail. He followed the trail for a few paces, squeezing himself between the foliage and his fellow Dragoons. He let his eyes linger where the trail disappeared around a curve. "Something tells me…" He turned back to his friends. "… That we should follow this trail."

"I know what you mean," said Meru, studying the footprints underneath. "Something's making me want to go that way too."

"It's the only thing we really have to go by," agreed Elizabeth, looking at Dart.

He nodded. "Right. We'll follow. The blood's still wet, so whoever it was couldn't have gone far."

Blood was found on leaves further down the trail, but gradually disappeared the further they walked. The group of warriors continued on, following the footprints pressed into the trampled foliage. About five minutes had passed before they heard the sounds of a village in peril.

"Hey! Give that back! It used to be my father's!"

"Leave us alone!"

"How dare you come to us bearing weapons! What did we ever do to you?!"

"My baby! Don't hurt my baby!"

The nine travelling warriors took off running down the trail, taking out their weapons as they charged forward. Leaves whipped at their arms as they rushed by, but they paid them no mind. The sounds of the village became louder, now accented by the ringing of swords. They ran faster until the village came into view.

It was fairly small; there could only have been ten buildings at the most. There was a large empty area in the middle- like a town square of sorts- that served as an entrance to the small town. Five people stood in the middle of the empty area, two carry torches. They were all armed with short swords, sand-yellow clothes, and crude-looking breastplates being the extent of their armor. The townspeople were scattered in front of them, including a woman on the ground who protectively clutched a wailing infant to her chest. A short sword hovered just inches away from her face. Many of the villagers looked terrified, as they weren't used to being faced with such hostility.

Dart was the first to step out from the cover of the forest, his sword held at ready.

The five thieves turned to see the supposed lone man brandishing his sword, and laughed. One of the thieves, who was obviously the leader, as he wore more armor than the rest, spoke.

"Lookie here; a meddler. What can you do when there's only one of you and five of us?"

A female voice emerged from the forest behind the blonde swordsman, startling the villagers and the thieves.

"He's not alone."

The other eight warriors emerged, wielding their weapons. Elizabeth, the one who had spoken, stood towards the front.

The eyes of the five thieves visibly bugged. With the tide now turned, they were sorely outnumbered: five short swords against two swords, two bows and arrows, one huge battle axe, one javelin, one double-headed spear, a large mallet, and one pair of fists. Thinking quickly, the leader quickly reached out and took hold of a nearby child by the back of her neck, pulling her away from the man she had been clinging to. The short sword was instantly at her neck. The child; who had medium length red hair and green eyes, squirmed at first, then became very still when she realized her life was threatened.

"Shayla!" The man, obviously the father of the child, tried to run to the girl, but was quickly halted as a short sword of another thief blocked his path, hovering at chest level.

A well-aimed arrow on Shana's behalf quickly ended the hostage situation. With a yell, the leader of the thieves dropped his sword, his arm wounded at the shoulder. The girl, now free, shoved him away from her, making him fall over backwards. Separated from her father and the rest of the villagers by thieves, she ran towards the woman that had freed her.

The leader of the thieves quickly sat up. "Get her!"

Two of the thieves tried to catch her, but she was already out of their reach. Shana got down on one knee and took the girl by both shoulders.

"Are you alright?"

The girl nodded, her green eyes wide and frightened.

"Stay behind me; we won't hurt you." With that, the previous Dragoon of Light gently positioned the girl behind her and stood up, loading another arrow into her bow and pulling the string taught as she aimed it at the thieves.

Holding his bleeding shoulder around the protruding arrow, the leading of the thieves got to his feet. Bending his wounded arm at the elbow, he pointed his sword at the heroes. "You may have won this fight, but you haven't seen the last of us!"

The nine Dragoons let the thieves retreat past them into the forest, watching them intently as they ran by. After they thieves had disappeared, the weapons were put away. The little girl, Shayla, burst out from the group and sprinted to her father, who collected his daughter into his arms and held her tightly.

An older and more distinguished looking man stepped forward. He wore plain brown clothes. His eyes were of a brown color, and his hair was mostly gray except for a few brown strands. "I am Mir, the Mayor of Gez. On behalf of myself and the entire village, I thank you."

"Glad we could help," said Dart, nodding once.

"Please join us tonight! We will be celebrating the second anniversary of this village's founding; and I would like to proclaim you nine heroes as the guests of honor!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd of villagers, the several children present, Shayla included, jumping up and down in excitement. Not one person objected to Mir's announcement; the nine heroes had very well saved all of their lives.

The Dragoons looked at each other, each nodding in agreement to Dart. He turned to the mayor. "We'll be there."

----

While the other Dragoons were being given a tour of Gez by Mir, Dart and Shana were invited by Shayla to come to her home.

It was fairly small, yet cozy. The floor, walls, and ceiling were plain wood; there was a small cooking stove in one corner, a bed against the opposite wall, and a smaller bed nearby. A small table and several chairs were in the middle of the room. Shayla, her father, Dart, and Shana all sat down

Danis, Shayla's father, was in his late twenties. He had short dark hair that partially hung in his blue eyes. He wore a rather plain faded green outfit. He sat with his forearms resting on the table, a cup in his right hand. Shayla sat next to him, wearing a plain green dress, sipping from her cup with both hands. Dart and Shana sat across from them, both with a cup in their hands.

"So," said Dart, looking at the man sitting across from him. "How was Gez founded?"

"Well," he said, looking up from his cup. "Everyone in this village used to live in Kazas. I myself was a weapons dealer back then. It was just Shayla and myself; it was hard, but I managed to make enough to feed both of us. Many of the townspeople weren't happy, but they were all afraid to do anything because of the soldiers that walked the streets. Well, at least until Mir stepped up. He used to be the doctor of Kazas, and one of the best; he helped my wife give birth to Shayla, Soa rest her soul. Anyway, Mir was the only one brave enough to organize some of the more daring civilians to make an escape. It took some time, but we all made it out of Kazas, and eventually Sandora itself. We were all afraid to show our faces in a Serdian city, so we traveled on until we reached here, where we put up homes. It's been almost two years since then, and the whole village is going to have a huge party in the Town Square. Everybody's been looking forward to it for a while now."

Shayla quickly put her cup down on the table, looking up at her father. "Papa, can I show them my dress?"

Danis looked at his daughter and smiled. "Of course you can. But be careful not to get it dirty, okay?"

She beamed. "Okay!" Hopping down from her chair, she ran over to the smaller bed and opened a chest near it. Danis watched her with a fond smile. "Just like her mother…"

Shana put down her cup from taking a sip. "What happened to her mother, if you don't mind my asking?"

The fond smile disappeared and Danis turned back to the couple. He let out a small sigh. His voice was quieter, almost as if he didn't want his daughter to hear. "She died eight years ago, shortly after Shayla was born. Mir tried to help her, but her body just couldn't handle the stress."

"Oh," said Shana quietly. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I found it!" Shayla ran up to them, holding up a simple but pretty purple dress. She beamed excitedly; unaware of the small conversation that had taken place between the adults. The adults all smiled at her youthful enthusiasm.

"That's a very pretty dress, Shayla," said Shana, observing the dress. "Is that the dress you're going to wear to the party tonight?"

Still beaming, the young girl nodded furiously. "Uh huh!"

Danis ruffled his daughter's hair fondly. "She's been looking forward to it all year. She's had the dress for months now, but she refuses to put it on until tonight." He looked back at Dart and Shana. "So, what about you two? You came here with a lot of friends."

Dart shrugged. "Well, Shana and I have been married for almost a year now. We've known each other since I was about seven and grew up together. We're on an adventure with our friends. We were walking by when we heard the villagers shouting."

The dark haired man watched his daughter go put her dress away. "If it wasn't for you people, the entire village could've been dead by now. We're all lucky you were passing by."

----

The Town Square became the center of activity during the party. There was a large fire in the middle of it all that seemed to reach up to the sky in a blazing inferno. A live band of fiddles, spoons, drums, a bagpipe looking instrument, and several woodwinds set up near the entrance of the village. The night opened with Mir making a short speech about how the town was founded and of the nine heroes in attendance that night. A feast of home-baked goods followed shortly afterwards, with foods including, but not limited to, an assortment of pies, cakes, roasted meats, and other meals that came in so much one person just couldn't eat one of everything. That, however, only took up a fraction of the night; the music dominated the party as the food tables were moved aside and the large area around the fire was tuned into the dance floor. The music was by no means elegant, but it had a catchy tune, and the fast beat made everyone want to get up and dance.

The Dragoons sat in chairs edging the dance floor. Dart and Shana sat next to each other, the other Dragoons to their left or right.

"I remember when they used to have parties like this is Seles," commented Dart. "Do you remember Shana?"

"A little. I usually didn't get to dance because I was so young." She was watching the dancers surrounding the fire; they looked like they were having fun; every one of them was laughing.

The song ended and a faster one started right afterwards. Dart's eyes lit up and his smile grew. "Hey! I know this one!" He quickly got up and faced his wife, taking her hands and pulling her up to her feet. "Come on!"

"Dart!" she exclaimed, surprised when he pulled her out in front of the fire. "I don't know this…"

His left hand took her right and her left rested on his right shoulder. "Don't worry, it's easy," he said as he put his right hand on her back, pulling her closer to him. "Just move; don't think!"

They began to move together to the beat of the music, joining the flow of people circling the fire at a fast rate. Shana shut her eyes tightly and squealed with the thrill of the speed of the unfamiliar dance. Dart laughed; he was genuinely having fun. It wasn't often he and Shana were able to do these kinds of things.

The other Dragoons smiled and laughed. Meru clapped her hands with the beat and grinned. This was her kind of party.

Both Hashel and Kongol didn't dare get up; they had eaten a little too much, and felt that they couldn't eat another bite. Hashel smiled, happy to see his grandson finally enjoying himself.

Verona joined Meru in the clapping and smiling. It really was fun, even if she wasn't participating. She had never been able to go to a party like this as long as she could remember.

Albert smiled at the sight of everyone having fun. There was a heavy burden on their shoulders; it was up to them to save the world. A party once in a while certainly would make their job a little enjoyable.

Miranda and Elizabeth both sat, small smiles on their faces. They didn't want to dance, but they couldn't keep their toes from taping to the beat of the music; the crowd's enthusiasm was catching.

The dance continued for a little while, then everyone broke away from their partners, forming a giant circle around the fire. Each person took the hand of the people on either side of them, making the circle whole. They began to move at a good, fast pace to their right, making the circle around the fire spin. Shana and Dart went around completely before the previous Dragoon of Light looked to her friends sitting to the side.

"Come on you guys! It's fun!"

Meru didn't hesitate a moment; she jumped to her feet and ran to the circle, putting herself between Shana and Danis, who was to holding Shana's left hand. They went around once before calling out to the others in their group.

Verona was the next to get to her feet, joining over and managing to catch Meru and Shana's hands before she was swept up into the pace of the circling people. It really was fun; the beat of the music took over their senses as they stepped with the tempo.

Dart, Shana, Meru, and Verona knew they wouldn't be able to get Hashel, Kongol, Miranda, and Elizabeth out to dance. But they might- just might- be able to get Albert to join them. They called to him each time they passed.

"Come on Albert! It's fun!"

"You gotta try it once!"

It took few tries before they got a reaction out of him, but he gave in and got to his feet. Meru and Verona immediately let go of each other's hands, extending them towards Albert, offering him to take them. He accepted and took his place between them.

He would have been embarrassed, as he was holding the hands of two ladies; one of which was closer to his age than his wife. However, he was unprepared for the pace of the circle, and was nearly swept off his feet; he had to concentrate on keeping up with the people around him. By the time he adjusted to the pace, the giddy rush of the experience had settled in and he found himself laughing along with his friends.

--------

Author's note: That party sounded like so much fun… Next chapter sooner or later; hopefully sooner.


	7. A Familiar Path

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone who was ever in the game.

Author's note: Not much to say; it's the next chapter.

-------- 

It was the next morning the Dragoons set out for Fletz, their packs bulging with home baked goods that would most likely be eaten right away. The entire village of Gez waved them goodbye and wished them Godspeed. Shayla and her father were towards the front of the group, Shayla jumping up and down as she waved. The nine travelers waved back, thanking them for their hospitality.

The day crawled along slowly, seemingly taking two days for noontime to come. They waited until they found a good enough clearing before stopping, everyone sitting and emptying their packs. Their meal started in relative silence until Hashel spoke up, looking at Elizabeth and Verona.

"So, are you two enjoying the trip so far?"

Elizabeth shrugged, carefully picking up a piece of bread. "Not bad. Kind of fun, actually. But I would like to test out my Dragoon Spirit sometime, seeing as how I still don't know how to use it yet."

"I agree," said Verona, also taking a piece of bread. "Both of us used our Spirits once, and we didn't actually know what we were doing. I'd like to get some training on using them."

Hashel grinned. "And here we are; seven experienced Dragoons that can teach you!"

Kongol noticed Elizabeth's eyes light up at the concept. Knowing how much both girls were looking forward to it, he offered his opinion in hopes that the new Dragoons would be given the opportunity as soon as possible. "We should train them soon; never know when we need their help."

Albert nodded. "I agree. We have time, now that we don't have any immediate trouble to deal with."

Meru grinned as well. "Right!"

Shana smiled. "How about we start after we finish eating?"

Everyone nodded and resumed eating. They ate quickly, hurrying so they could start the training as soon as possible. Afterwards they put everything back into their packs and placed them at the base of a tree. The seven more experienced Dragoons stood around the perimeter of the clearing while Elizabeth, who had volunteered to go first, stood in the middle. Verona stood near the packs, leaning against the tree and watching. Dart, who had been a Dragoon the longest out of the group, was the instructor.

"Since you have your Spirit on a necklace, you won't have to worry about finding it each time you try to use it. Focus on it carefully; don't think about anything else."

Elizabeth took a breath before closing her eyes. She was nervous, and yet, at the same time, felt idiotic. Everyone was watching her, and she could feel it.

'_Idiot!_' she berated herself mentally. '_Concentrate on the Spirit!_'

Pushing all further thoughts from her mind, she focused on the gem around her neck; how she could feel it resting just above where her collarbones met. It felt warm on her skin, mostly because it was warm from her body heat. Her mind moved on from her skin to the gem itself; she formed a mental picture of how it looked: completely black except for the red outline, a perfect sphere, maybe even glimmering a little bit…

The other Dragoons watched as her Spirit began to glow it's black shroud, cloaking everything a foot around it for a second before it formed a beam that shot into the suddenly cloudy sky, causing a sudden breeze that pushed Elizabeth's platinum hair back a bit. Elizabeth's eyes were still closed, but she still looked up as the beam shot skyward, almost as if she could sense it. A few moments passed; she didn't move. Then the black beam came back, shooting down from the sky large enough to seemingly swallow her completely. She was lost from sight, save a red outline of her form in the middle of the beam. Then the darkness was seemingly swallowed back into her and her new armor, leaving her to hover slightly over the ground with her transformed sword in hand. Her ruby eyes then opened, seeming oddly calm as she landed on the ground.

Dart nodded. "Not bad," he commended. "You won't be able to stay a Dragoon for very long at first until you use it more often. But for now, we'll go over flying. Your wings are like extra arms; you can control them in pretty much the same way and they don't get tired. Go ahead, give them a try."

She nodded and stood straight. Moving an arm wasn't hard; you want it to move and it moved. So she concentrated and willed her new wings to move. Much to her surprise, it worked; her wings began to flap and she lifted off, albeit slowly and rising only a few inches. Despite herself, she couldn't help but to smile excitedly. She was actually doing it! She couldn't wait to try it in a real fight; then she could see what a Dragoon could really do.

Her armor shimmered and disappeared, leaving her back in her normal clothing. Her sword had found its way back into its scabbard. She fell back to the ground, easily landing on her feet. She was proud of herself; she had successfully transformed and flown on her first day of training.

Meru grinned and cheered. "All right Elizabeth! You did it!"

Elizabeth and Verona traded places; Elizabeth leaning on the tree and Verona standing in the middle of the clearing. She pulled out her light-teal Dragoon Spirit and waited, facing Dart.

"Pretty much the same thing," he said. "Concentrate on your Spirit and your Spirit alone."

She closed her eyes and held her Dragoon Spirit in both hands in front of her. She was very nervous; what if she didn't do it right like Elizabeth did? She could embarrass herself in front of everyone; make herself look like an idiot! What was the tip Elizabeth whispered to her as they walked past each other? "Make a mental picture of the Spirit." '_Well, here goes…_'

Much to her surprise, she felt the slightly familiar tingling sensation start at her feet and slowly spread up her body.

The transformation started with the ground below her. A circle about a foot in diameter around her feet began to glow, shining light upwards. Several figures floated up from the glowing earth, taking on more human shapes as they surrounded Verona on all sides. A faint sound could be heard, like voices singing songs of joy. Then the figures began to slowly swirl around her, starting with her feet. They spun faster and faster, eventually becoming a solid white blur as they circled her waist. They seemed to be getting larger, still spinning around her feet as they moved up to her shoulders. In moments they covered her completely, still spinning around her entirely. A bright flash of light made everyone reflexively cover their eyes. When the light died down, Verona stood on the ground, wearing her new armor and her transformed spear in her hands.

---- 

The training had gone well. Both of the new Dragoons had learned how to use their wings in the short time they had. Afterwards they started back on their way to Tiberoa, nearly getting within a day's travel to the border before deciding to stop and camp for the night. After they finished eating, Dart offered to have the first watch. No one really argued; they all just nodded and pulled out their blankets. Shana hugged her husband goodnight before turning in for the night. Dart settled himself near the fire, watching and listening for any type of threat, whether it be man or animal.

There were both advantages and disadvantages to being on guard duty. It allowed one to have some alone time and to have time to think about almost anything. But it was usually so boring one couldn't help but to almost fall asleep. Dart tried his best to stay awake by observing the other Dragoons.

Hashel slept with his back to the fire, his blanket up over his shoulders and nearly to his neck. His arms twitched every once in a while, giving Dart the impression that his grandfather was dreaming about martial arts.

Kongol slept on his back with his head tilted away from the fire, the blanket coming up to his chest. Dart felt sorry for his large friend; he was the only Gigantos left. When he dies, his species would become extinct. It was the sad, depressing truth, lightened only by the fact that Kongol was still young; only in his lower twenties of age.

Meru was nearly lost from sight; her blanket was pulled up to her head, almost covering her completely. Her back was also to the fire, lying on her side with her hands holding the blanket and tucked under her chin. She was by far the youngest of the group and the most childish, but her personality was a necessary deviant from the seriousness of their journey.

Shana slept on her side, facing the fire. She too had the blanket nearly up to her chin, her hands tucked up to her neck. The blonde swordsman couldn't help but to feel protective of her. Moon Child or not, she still meant a great deal to him; she was more precious than his own life in his eyes.

Miranda slept on her back, her arms to her side, the blanket up to her chest. Dart supposed she was one of the more burdened of the Dragoons aside from Albert; not only was she to help save the world, but she also was an heir to the royal throne of Millie Seasu.

Elizabeth slept on her back as well, her head tilted towards the fire, her forearms resting on her stomach with the blanket up to her chest. Dart couldn't help but to remember that she was the reason they were on their journey in the first place; it was because she had an unknown Dragoon Spirit that led them to believe that the world was threatened.

Verona slept on her side with her back to the fire, her blanket over her shoulders. Her legs were slightly curled up to her side, bent at the knees and tucked closer to her for more heat. She was the one that seemingly added a twist to their reasons for going on their adventure; seven Dragoons was understandable, but eight?

Albert lay on his back, his arms at his sides. The light from both the true moon and the small fire reflected from his open eyes, which stared up at the inky blackness of the clear sky above and the stars within. His eyes seemed distant, as though his mind was somewhere else.

"Can't sleep?" the swordsman asked quietly as to not disturb the others.

The Jade Dragoon's eyes slid towards the blonde, seemingly coming to reality. His voice was quiet as well, keeping in mind the others were sleeping. "Unfortunately, no." With a sigh, he sat up, turning to face his companion. He hugged his left knee to his chest while the other lay in front of him. His eyes drifted towards the fire, looking tired but too preoccupied to sleep. "I can't help but to feel that I should have stayed with Emille in Bale."

"Oh." A moment of silence dragged out through the small clearing between the two men, during which Dart glanced at the fire out of the corner of his eye. He then looked back at Albert. "Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?"

He shifted a little, his right leg beginning to go numb. "I'd be happy with either, really. I just hope I can be there when Emille gives birth."

"Have you decided on any names yet?"

Albert took his eyes away from the fire and looked at Dart. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before answering. "Emille and I have agreed on one name, but only if it's a boy. We don't know what we're going to name it if it's a girl."

"What's its name going to be if it's a boy?"

Again he hesitated, this time for seemingly longer. "… Lavitz."

Dart's icy blue eyes softened and a small, reassuring smile appeared. "I'm sure he would've been honored if he was alive to hear about it."

A rustling behind them diverted their attention, making Dart look over his right shoulder. Verona's legs straightened underneath her blanket, stretching the stiff joints before settling again.

It took them less than a week to reach Fletz. Nothing had really changed since they had last been there. There was still a stream flowing smoothly through the city, and stars were still the main decoration. There was even the same guard barring the entrance to the castle. It took him a while to recognize everyone; but his well-tanned face quickly split into a grin.

"Well, if it isn't Dart and his friends! I haven't seen you folks in a long time! King Zior's been wanting to talk to you people. Especially you, Your Majesty." He moved to the side and let them pass.

They proceeded to the throne room, where King Zior Princess Lisa sat. The king stood once he recognized the group of warriors. He smiled.

"I've been waiting to talk to you all for a long time! Please, make yourselves comfortable! What brings you all here?"

The Dragoons looked at Albert, who took a small step forwards. "For several reasons, actually. Emille requested that I give her regards to you and Princess Lisa. She also wished me to inform you that in seven months we will be expecting a new heir to the throne."

Both the king and the princess' smiles enlarged. "Oh my!" exclaimed Princess Lisa. "I will be an aunt soon!"

Zior rose from his throne, walked over to Albert and gave him a hearty slap on the back as he laughed. Albert had to take a step forward to keep himself from being knocked over.

"Ha ha! That's grand news!"

Dart decided it was time to get to business. He stepped forward slightly and nodding respectfully. "Unfortunately, Your Majesty, the other reasons we're here aren't good."

Zior nodded and sat back down on his throne, as did Princess Lisa. "Please, do continue."

"We have reason to believe Endiness is in danger yet again. So far we haven't been able to discover what it is, but we were on our way to Millie Seasu to continue our search."

"Very well then! The nine of you can go to Millie Seasu in the Queen Fury. You warriors have saved my country twice; I cannot thank you enough. However, there have been several reports of the Phantom Ship again, so you'll have to keep an eye out for that as well."

"The Phantom Ship? But we watched it sink almost two years ago!"

"It is the strangest thing. The reports say that it is more aggressive; it has tried to ram a few of our ships then they encountered it. Be careful!"

"We will, and thank you Your Majesty." They all kneeled, then left for Doneau, the Flower City.

The flowers were brighter than ever. There had been very little change from when they had last been there. They even saw two old friends of theirs walking home. The man saw the group and pointed at them, smiling. "Kate, look! It's Dart and his friends!"

The woman looked where her husband pointed and smiled. She didn't wave, however, because of the bundle in her arms.

"Lynn! Kate!" The group approached the couple with smiles.

"You all look so well! It's been a long time since I've seen you!" Lynn exclaimed as he shook hands excitedly with Dart. "And there's more with you this time! Who are these two new faces?"

"Elizabeth and Verona. How have you two been doing?"

"We've been just fine. We had our baby a while ago."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" asked Shana, looking at the bundle in Kate's arms.

"A boy," Kate replied, showing them the infant in her arms.

"He's adorable!" awed the previous Dragoon of Light.

"My wife and I are expecting soon," said Albert, smiling down at the baby boy who giggled at the attention he was getting.

"Really?" asked Lynn. "About when will the prince or princess be born?"

"In about seven months."

"So what brings you all here?" asked Kate.

"Oh, out saving the world again," grinned Hashel.

"We're going to go to Millie Seasu on the Queen Fury," replied Dart.

"The Queen Fury?" asked Lynn. "It's been at the docks for a few hours now."

"We'd better go catch our ride then," said Hashel. The group waved to the family as they passed to get to the docks.

"Bye!" called back Meru as she waved.

Up at the dock, Kayla recognized them immediately. She waved to them excitedly as they approached. "Hi everyone! We've been waiting for you for hours now! Are you ready to go?"

"I think so," said Dart. Everyone nodded.

"Right! Let's go! Commodore Puler is waiting for you on deck!"

They all boarded the ship, meeting Commodore Puler just off the walkway. "Dart!" The smiling Commodore gave the swordsman's upper back a pat in greeting. "How are you? Have you thought about becoming a man of the sea yet?"

"Not really. Commodore, these are two new friends of ours- Elizabeth and Verona. They're joining us on our journey."

"Ah. Saving the world?"

"Again."

"Well, if you don't take the time to save Endiness, then who will? Make yourselves comfortable; we'll leave as soon as possible!"

Elizabeth stood up on the crow's nest, watching the sea. Her hair was being tossed back I the sea breeze as she leaned against the wood with her forearms resting on the edge. Her life had taken an interesting turn. One day she was living alone, just a Wingly woman trying to get by in life, now today she was a part of a legend dating back 11,000 years. She was alone, and now she was with eight others. She was part of this odd group that would save the world. As strange as it sounded, she liked the idea. It gave her life a purpose.

The sound of someone climbing the ladder behind her returned her mind to the present. She turned to see Dart appear from behind the mast, walking towards her. She turned back to the sea. He stood beside her, resting his forearms on the ledge. "You like it up here?"

"Yeah."

"Rose did too. She stayed up here for most of our trip, like you are."

She turned her head to look at him. "What was the story with her, anyway?"

Dart sighed. "Well, she saved my life three times. She was the Darkness Dragoon from over 11,000 years ago. She fell in love with the Dragoon of Fire, Zieg Feld."

"Feld… Isn't that your last name?"

He nodded. "He was my father. But he was petrified while he was fighting Melbu Frahma. It took 11,000 years for the spell to wear off. Later he met my mother, and then I came along."

"What about Rose?"

"After my father killed Melbu, she was given immortality to become the Black Monster She later destroyed my first home town, Neet, and killed my mother. She joined us when we were fighting Kongol in Hoax, which I already told you about. She died with my father at the final battle of our last journey."

"And your dad took your Fire Dragoon Spirit, right?"

He nodded. "But Lloyd gave me the Divine Dragoon Spirit before he died." He took the stone from his pocket, the Dragoon Spirit around Elizabeth's neck reacting with it and causing both to glow. After a few moments the black and golden lights faded down to gentle pulsing.

Verona stood at the every front of the ship, watching the sea rush by. Her life had taken a drastic turn; for better or worse, she didn't know. She had gotten new friends, so it couldn't be that bad, could it? She would admit- it felt strange to be able to call the King of Serdia her friend.

"Having fun?"

She turned to see Hashel move to stand beside her, looking out at the waves. She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess."

"So, how are you liking the trip? Not getting seasick, are you?"

She shook her head. "No, I usually don't get seasick." She paused to watch a wave splash up against the front of the ship. "It's interesting. Being a Dragoon, I mean. I'm still not entirely used to being one."

"Well, don't worry, you'll get used to it soon." He leaned against the wood. "We're headed for Furni. Isn't that where you're from?"

She nodded. "It'll be strange, though. When I left for Bale, I was… I don't know; fairly normal, I guess. But now I'm a Dragoon, helping to save the world."

"I know how that is. When I left Rouge over 40 years ago, I was just a man out looking for his runaway daughter. When I came back about a year ago, I was a Dragoon looking for a long-lost Wingly city."

Verona turned to face him. "I didn't know you had a daughter, Hashel."

"I sure did. She looked a lot like her mother. She was a good kid; I was just too hard on her when it came to the Rouge School. She ran away, and I never saw her again."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

"She died a long time ago. She was Dart's mother, you know."

"I didn't know that. So you're his grandfather?"

"Yep. It was a bit strange when we found out, since I met him a long time ago and joined him before Lavitz died."

"You must be proud of him; he's a good guy. It's a shame he didn't grow up with you around."

Hashel grinned. "Yeah, He can be a stick in the mud once in a while." He leaned closer to her and hushed his voice, almost as if he was telling her a secret. "But I think he would've been a cute baby!"

They both laughed.

Authors note: GAH! Finally! It took me forever to finish this darn chapter!


	8. Homes

Disclaimer: I only own Verona. Elizabeth, her family, and her dragon belongs to a friend of mine.

Author's note: Next chapter. Hopefully this one won't take me as long as the next one will, right?

The Queen Fury moored up to the dock in Furni and the passengers emptied out into the streets. Once she got off the ship, Verona stretched her arms above her head.

"Home," she simply said with a smile.

Shana jumped down from the docking claw. "Maybe you could show us around your house, Verona," she suggested.

The blonde woman shrugged as she let her arms fall back down. "I guess it could get a few things while we're here."

Not much had changed since the Dragoons had last been there. Even the woman that ran the hotel recognized the seven heroes from nearly two years ago. She was ecstatic that they had returned and didn't hesitate to find them a boat they could use. Verona guided the boat to her home, which was just past the Mayor's house. She smoothly docked it into the lower level.

It was made out of the same white stone as all the other buildings. The lower level of her home was only big enough for passengers to disembark from their boats, a set of four steps leading up to the main floor. Overall, the main floor wasn't big. Empty doorways separated the bedrooms, kitchen, and a sitting room of some sort. The steps emerged into the sitting room, where a few chairs sat. Multiple pictures hung on the wall, including the portrait of a young couple with a baby girl in her mother's arms. They followed Verona out of the sitting room and past the kitchen. The first bedroom they passed looked like it hadn't been used in years. The bed was large enough for two people, but the room itself was fairly small. Some pictures were collected on a nightstand by the bed, many looking rather old. The second bedroom was obviously Verona's; the bed was smaller than the one in the other bedroom. There was a ladder leaning against the wall directly underneath a hatch in the ceiling; they assumed it went to the roof. There were fewer pictures, most of them of a young couple. There were a few pictures of an older couple. She noticed everyone looking at the pictures as she walked forward to get something from the nightstand.

"The younger ones were my parents. They died when I was five. The older couple were my grandparents from my father's side. They took care of me after my parents were killed. My grandpa died when I was fifteen, and my grandma three years later. I've been on my own ever since."

"What about the ladder and the hatch in the ceiling?" asked Meru.

"Oh, that goes to the roof. I considered that my special place when I got here. I can't count how many times I climbed up onto the roof and just sat looking up at the sky before I went to bed." She waked back to them, putting something in her pack. "I've got everything."

They walked back through the home, everyone getting back into the boat. This time they docked at the landing to go to the Evergreen Forest. Once they reached the top of the steps, the door to the house suddenly burst open, a blur of white and a small boy emerging from the home. Verona immediately smiled. She missed her usual welcome, and it had been a long time since she left.

"Verona! You're back!"

Kamuey began to run circles around the group as Teo stopped in front of them. His lower jaw dropped open in surprise. "It's you guys!"

"Hello Teo," said Shana as she smiled at the boy.

"You know these people, Teo?" Verona asked, surprised.

He nodded his regular smile appearing again. "They were the ones that saved Kamuey that I told you about!"

"Really?" she asked, looking at Dart.

The blonde swordsman nodded. "We didn't know you two knew each other."

Noticing the wolf pup balancing on his hind legs at her feet, the huntress kneeled down and began to pet him. "I met him and his family shortly after Kamuey ran away. They wanted me to go find him and bring him back. I got sick shortly after Fa was attacked and couldn't go out to look until I got better." The pup jumped on her lap, aiming wet kisses at her face. She turned her head to avoid getting wolf pup saliva on her mouth. "Okay! Okay! I get the point; you missed me!" she exclaimed as she laughed.

The pup barked happily, then jumped down and proceeded to inspect the other members of the group.

"Ma's going to be happy you're back!" Teo said to Verona.

Verona's smile decreased slightly as she gently put both of her hands on the boy's shoulders. "Teo, I'm not staying; I'm going with my friends on an adventure. It might be a long time before I come back," she explained gently.

The boy looked slightly crestfallen. He glanced at Kamuey, who looked up at Hashel and panted before the martial artist grinned and bent down to pet the pup. Teo looked back up at Verona. "Oh… Well, you'll still come back when the adventure's over, right?"

She smiled reassuringly. "Of course I will."

The smile reappeared on his face.

"Teo! Time to eat!" came his mother's voice from inside the house. Verona released the boy's shoulders.

"Okay!" he called. "Bye!" he said to the group as he began to run back to the house. Kamuey, satisfied that he had been petted by everyone, followed closely.

Verona got to her feet once the pair had disappeared into the house, dusting off her pant legs. "Well, I guess we should go."

They moved on to the Evergreen Forest, taking only an hour and a half to reach their destination. Not much had changed there as well; the evergreen trees still stood tall, birds still made their nests in the branches, and the same small plateau was still there. It was there Verona stopped, letting everyone else pass her. Her eyes drifted towards a path that led south, a glimmer of longing shinning in her eyes. Everyone else stopped walking when they realized she was behind them and looked back at her.

"Verona?" asked Dart.

"I have something I'd like to do, actually."

He nodded. "We'll meet you at the hotel in Denningrad then."

She nodded and walked south, disappearing into the forest. The rest of the Dragoons continued north to the Wingly Forest.

Once they neared the barrier, Elizabeth suddenly stopped. Everyone else began to go ahead of her.

"Wait!" she called.

They all stopped and turned to face her, most of them looking a little confused. "Why?" asked Hashel.

As if to answer his question, the ground shook with a loud crashing noise. Everyone but Elizabeth crouched to keep their balance. A clawed black foot landed heavily behind them. They all stared at the foot momentarily before raising their gaze to the see the dragon's head. Its shoulders were tense, and its red eyes were staring down at them as it growled.

All but Elizabeth jumped back in surprise, pulling out their weapons in preparation for an attack.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh please." She walked through the scattered group, left hand on left hip, coming to a stop a few feet away from the dragon. She looked up at it.

The dragon immediately stopped growling and it relaxed. It lowered its head to Elizabeth, who took the hand off of her hip and held the dragon's head in her hands and smiled. "You guys can put your weapons away. It's only Jamie."

The weapons were slowly put away, their owners continuing to stare.

"Jamie?" asked Miranda. "The dragon's name is Jamie?"

Elizabeth nodded, beginning to scratch the black dragon behind its left ear. Its eyes closed; it seemed to be enjoying it. "Of course. She's my dragon, after all."

Shana blinked. "That's your dragon?"

"She. And yes, she's mine. She almost ate me until she saw I was a Dragoon."

"Sorry; I forgot," apologized Dart to the others. "I forgot about Jamie when I was telling you guys how I met Elizabeth." However, no one seemed to be paying any attention to him, as they all were still staring at Jamie.

"So if Jamie responded with your Dragoon Spirit, that must mean she is the same element as you," concluded Albert.

Elizabeth shrugged. "I guess."

"Question!" Meru put both her hands on her hips. "Why is Jamie at the entrance to my forest?"

"Because I told her to guard it," replied the older Wingly, patting her dragon on the head before turning to the others. "Well, we should go. No point in standing around all day."

It was a few moments before anyone said anything. Hashel was the first to speak.

"… Right."

As soon as they passed though the barrier, a familiar face appeared on the guard post up above.

"Meru!"

Guaraha flew down to greet the visitors. However, Meru had quickly pulled him into a tight hug, squeezing the air from his lungs and preventing him from saying anything. Hashel chuckled.

Meru released her captive, her regular smile in place. "See, I told you I'd be back!"

It took him a few moments to catch his breath before he could say anything. "You brought your friends along too, I see."

She nodded. "We were passing through the area and decided to stop by!"

"Your parents have been waiting for you to come home."

"I'd better go see them then; and you," she poked his chest. "You should get back to work!"

He nodded. "Everyone's waiting for you; especially your mom."

Meru cringed. "Oh boy; I'm gonna get smothered, aren't I? Darn. Well, I'd better go face my fate. Later!" With a wave and a smile, she jogged up to the teleporter. Not seeing the others there with her, she turned to them and waved them over. "Come on you guys! You're so slow! Let's go!"

The other Dragoons walked up to the teleporter and disappeared. The reappeared deeper into the Wingly Forest.

Not much had changed since they had last been there; the only difference was that very few of the Winglies outside were staring at them. Two Wingly children still played in midair, hovering and giggling as they played tag.

"It's good to be home," said Meru, stretching her hands above her head and rocking back on her heels a little.

The two children who had been playing in midair stopped and faced the strangers. They were two little girls with their hair pulled up into ponytails. They looked like identical twins. A sudden beaming smile appeared on their faces and they charged forward. "Elizabeth!" They attached themselves to the older female Wingly, embracing her waist in a hug.

Elizabeth's eyes shot wide open and she promptly began to attempt to pry the twins off. "Get off!" she growled. "You two are embarrassing me!"

Neither of the girls moved. "Elizabeth! You finally came home!"

"Get off!"

"Do you know these girls?" asked Dart, one eyebrow slightly lower than the other. Everyone could hear Hashel chuckling quietly in the back.

"Unfortunately," she said with an exasperated sigh. "They're my sisters. Tammie and Jamie."

Both girls suddenly released their older sister, flying away. "Ma! Pa! Elizabeth came home!"

"Oh for the love of…!" She covered her face with one hand. "Can we leave now!"

"No way! I have to visit my parents yet!" responded Meru.

"You named your dragon after your little sister?" asked Hashel disbelivingly.

She shrugged, moving her hand away from her face. "It just popped into my head. Besides, I couldn't think of anything else."

Two Wingly adults, a male and a female, suddenly appeared with the two girls. The female had long silver hair that was tied up like the twins'. The male had short silver hair that hung in his eyes slightly. All four of them looked ecstatic to see Elizabeth again. The Dragoons wisely stepped away from Elizabeth, leaving room for the Wingly family to surround and embrace her from all sides. Her face burned nearly as red as Dart's armor with embarrassment.

Meru laughed. She thought it was hilarious; at least it wasn't happening to her.

"Elizabeth! We've been waiting for you to come back home for years now!" cried the Wingly woman.

"Mom… You're embarrassing me!" she hissed quietly through clenched teeth.

She was eventually released and her father held her out at arm's length, studying her carefully with joyful eyes. "Well, you're not the conventional woman we thought you'd become, but you seem to be doing well."

"I'm fine. I've been living in a small village called Seles in Serdia."

Elizabeth's mother finally seemed to notice the large group of people around them. Her eyes widened slightly. "Oh my… Are all these people your friends, dear?"

She nodded. Her embarrassment seemed to have disappeared. "We're missing one, though. She didn't come with us here. We're all on a big journey right now."

Her shoulders sagged in sadness and disappointment. "Oh. So… I suppose you won't be able to stay…"

"Afraid not." She didn't looks the least bit sorry.

"Well," said Meru, walking off. "I'm going to go find my folks. I'll see you guys in Denningrad!"

"Let's get going," said Miranda. "Queen Theresa will want to see you all again."

"You're leaving us again?" asked one of the girls, teary-eyed. The rest of the group still couldn't tell if it was Tammie or Jamie.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes before she got to her knees, one hand on a shoulder of both the girls. "Yes, I'm going again. But I'll come back when our adventure is over, okay?"

"Promise?" they both asked simultaneously after they sniffled.

She sighed. "I promise."

"Okay."

They hugged before Elizabeth got back to her feet, hugging her mother and father before turning to the rest of the group. "We ready?"

They nodded and they started to leave.

"Be careful!" called her mother.

"And take good care of each other!" finished her father.

"Bye!" waved the twins at the same time.

Elizabeth turned halfway, offering her family a small smile and a wave before they stepped onto the platform and disappeared.

Guaraha stopped them when they reappeared in front of him. "You're all on a big adventure again, aren't you?"

Dart nodded.

"Is it going to be really dangerous?"

"If it's anything like the last one, yes."

"Well, then could you all do me a favor then? Could you… I don't know… keep an eye on Meru? Make sure she doesn't get herself killed?"

Dart nodded. "Sure."

The Wingly smiled, relief evident in his ruby eyes. "Thanks. And don't tell her. She'd have a fit."

"Don't worry. We'll deal with her if she finds out."

"Thanks. Good luck!"

They all left, waving goodbye as they stepped though the portal. Once they emerged into the Evergreen Forest, Dart turned to the to the others.

"I think I'll stop by Neet; see if anything's changed. You guys can go ahead."

They nodded and left and the blonde swordsman proceeded to his first hometown, taking only a few hours.

It hadn't changed much, if at all. The buildings were still mostly burned. He was surprised they hadn't collapsed. He was also surprised to find a set of footprints in the snow, only partially covered by the small white flakes; they were fairly fresh. Curiosity drove him forward past the charred remains of the village to the single monument placed in the middle. Much to his surprise, there, kneeling by the stone, was Verona; she was down on one knee as she looked down at the list of names on the bottom of the stone, her braid over her right shoulder.

"… I guess there's nothing I can do about it," she said. She was apparently talking to the monument, as many do when they were at the grave of a loved one. "It was fate or destiny or something. I just wish you could have gone with me. You wouldn't have been here when it attacked." She sighed.

Dart didn't move; he didn't want her to know he was here just yet.

"I've been holding out on my own; grandpa taught me a lot about hunting, and it's kept me alive. But now…" she shook her head slightly, still not aware of Dart's presence. "I'm not sure what's going to happen. I don't know how to use this power; it seems almost dangerous, but… I'm not afraid of it. I just don't know what to do. How can I help save the world? I'm not as strong or as powerful as the other Dragoons. And I'm not as experienced as they are…"

Dart took three steps before the sound of the snow crunching beneath his feet reached Verona's ears though the cold air, making her start and jump to her feet, whirling around to face whatever had made the noise, double-headed spear drawn and ready.

"Easy! It's just me!" he assured as he raised his hands in a sign of peace.

She relaxed, putting her weapon away and her hand on her hip. "Don't _do _that to me!"

A small, slightly amused smile came to his face. "Sorry."

"How long have you been here?" she asked as he walked up to her.

"Not very long." He looked down at the monument. "Do you know anyone here?"

"Yeah." She looked down at the list of names, reading two in particular. "My parents. I lived here until I was five."

He looked at her, surprised. "You lived in Neet? How did you survive the attack?"

"Well, I was visiting my grandparents at the time. We could only afford to have one go to Furni, so they had me go. That's when the Black Monster attacked and my parents were killed."

"My family escaped," he said, folding his arms and looking up at the cloudy sky. "But my dad went back to fight, and my mom followed to help. My mom died."

"And your dad?"

He paused and sighed. "He… it's a long story."

Verona shifted her weight. "Really. Well, I'm glad to find out someone else survived. I thought I was the only one."

"I did for a while too, until I found out the Sacred Sister Luanna was from Neet too. She lost her eyesight, but she survived."

"Sacred Sister Luanna too?" she asked, surprised. "I didn't know. How did you find out?"

"Librarian Ute told us," he replied, shrugging. "We went to Denningrad during out last adventure. We ended up saving Queen Theresa from Lloyd after she gave him the Moon Mirror."

"You meet a lot of people on your journeys, don't you?"

He snorted. "More than I'd like to." Of course, he had in mind all the shady characters they had run into; Frugal, Mr. Magi, the Genrich Gang, Lenus, and all the other people that had caused them trouble.

"Do you think we'll meet that many?"

"Maybe. You've already met a few of them. It depends on where we go. We probably won't meet anyone in the Death Frontier, but otherwise…" He shrugged. "Who knows." He looked up at the sky, shielding his eyes from the sunlight that streamed though a break in the clouds. "Well, we should think about heading to Denningrad."

She shrugged. "I think I'm done here. What about you?"

"I just came to see if anything had changed. It's been a while since I've been here."

Verona walked away from the stone, joining Dart as he started to leave. "So, what was the story behind your father, anyway?"

"Well, he was one of the Dragoons that fought in the Dragoon Campaign 11,000 years ago…"

Author's note: That chapter is over with! How many people actually forgot about Jamie? I know I did. I was reading the second chapter when I realized I forgot about her.


	9. A Brief Respite

Disclaimer: I only own Verona. Elizabeth belongs to one of my friends.

Author's note: Ninth chapter. One of my longest fics yet. Hopefully I can actually finish it.

After the Crystal Palace had been attacked, the city began its mad rush to rebuild. The sections of the castle that had been destroyed were rebuilt with stones. The large pieces of crystal that had scattered among the city could not be moved, and buildings were just simply built around them. This proved to have a very interesting effect; now the entire city seemed to sparkle, instead of just the Crystal Palace.

Everyone met up in the hotel in Denningrad, Dart explaining what had happened when he got to Neet. Afterwards, they went to a clothing store to purchase plain winter parkas for the entire group, which was necessary for the cold weather. They then proceeded to the library, upon Albert's request. As they walked, Meru slowed until she was between Verona and Elizabeth.

"This is amusing," she muttered to the two women, being sure to keep her voice quiet enough for the men ahead of them not to hear. "Albert acts like libraries are the givers of life." She grinned. "Keep an eye on him while we're in there. You could stand behind him and breathe on his neck while he's reading and he wouldn't notice."

"Takes them that seriously, eh?" asked Elizabeth quietly, smiling slightly at the image in her head of Albert sitting at a desk, reading while Meru stands directly behind him, breathing on the back of his neck while he doesn't seem to notice.

"You bet." Meru winked. "You guys just watch him. I'll show you what I mean after a little while."

As soon as they entered the library, an irrepressible smile appeared on Albert's face. He looked like he had died and gone to bookworm heaven.

Librarian Ute stood up on the second level, replacing a book to its proper place on the shelf when he heard the heavy library door open. He walked over to the guardrail to see the group of people enter. It took him a few moments to recognize the group, but then a small smile came to his face. He called down to them, despite the fact that he was in a library. Who would care? There was no one else there.

"Well, if it isn't the seven heroes! I haven't seen you since the Signet War."

"Signet War?" asked Dart, calling back up. "Is that what people call it?"

Ute nodded. "Come up, all of you; you have much to tell me!" Once all were up with him, he studied them all carefully. "Well well," he said as he nodded, folding his arms and tucking his hands into his wide sleeves. "I see you all survived. Sacred Sister Miranda!" He jumped, startled at the sight of the Sacred Sister. "I didn't know you were one of the heroes!"

The First Sacred Sister nodded curtly, pushing a stray lock of blonde hair behind her right ear, her blue eyes cold and passive. "And if you weren't so busy trying to make yourself self-righteous, you would have noticed we have a few more than last time."

The librarian adjusted his glasses, his hands and voice slightly shaky from the blow to his ego. "Well… uh… so I see! And what are your names; hmm?" He shot a glare at Hashel, who was hiding a chuckle behind his hand and trying to disguise it as a cough.

"Elizabeth," said the older female Wingly, nodding slightly.

"I'm Verona," said the female Human.

"And are you all here to look for something in particular?" he inquired.

"No." Dart shook his head. "We're here because of him." He nodded towards Albert, who was looking around at the bookshelves longingly.

"Ah! I remember you; you were the enthusiastic one! Well, feel free to look up whatever you please."

Without wasting a moment, the royal bookworm shot up the ladder to the third level, his cape and ponytail seeming caught in the space Albert had once been before trailing behind him.

Within several minutes he became absorbed in a book about politics, not noticing the two Winglies standing a distance away down the walkway and watching him.

Meru leaned over towards Elizabeth slightly, so the elder Wingly could hear her quietly speaking. "Where's Verona?"

She leaned towards the younger Wingly as well, quietly responding to the question. "I saw her go with Dart, Shana, and the librarian upstairs." She nodded her head towards the staircase that led further up the building.

"Oh well. Her loss." Meru refocused her attention on the reading king. "I'll give him a few more minutes before he'll zone out."

They both stood and watched him until he turned two pages. Then Meru grinned as she looked at Elizabeth. "Watch" she mouthed, not making any sound. She then quietly approached the preoccupied king and stood behind him. She started to call him quietly in a sing-song voice. "Al-beeeeeeert…"

He gave no reaction.

"A-aaaaaaaaaaal…"

The turn of a page.

Elizabeth grinned. This _was_ amusing.

Meru's childish grin increased in size and she increased the volume of her voice slightly. "Your Royal Majesteeeeeeeee…"

Still no reaction.

Elizabeth was about ready to burst out laughing. Meru wasn't exaggerating when she said he took libraries seriously.

Meru moved to Albert's left, peeking around his arm.

He still didn't seem to notice her.

She turned her head at an odd angle and read a little bit of what he was reading, her grin shrinking to an amused smile and curiosity lighting her eyes. As far as she could tell, it was about Mille Seasu's political overview. She leaned back on her heels slightly, fingers laced behind her head as she shrugged. "Looks boring to me," she commented out loud.

Albert jumped slightly and quickly looked over his left shoulder, a vaguely surprised expression on his face. "Oh! Meru; you startled me."

She burst out giggling, no longer leaning back on her heels as she twirled once. Elizabeth had also burst out giggling, but was trying to hide it by trying to cover her grin with a hand.

Realizing what had been going on, his eyes narrowed and a slight smile appeared. "You were teasing me, weren't you?"

They both laughed harder.

_Time passes _

A few hours later, they arrived at the Crystal Palace. Queen Theresa was thrilled to see them all again, and glad that Miranda made it back, even if it was for only one day. She offered them to stay at the castle for the night, and they gladly accepted.

Once he was settled into his room, Albert seated himself at the desk, sheet of paper before him and a pen in his hand. He held up the paper slightly, thoughts buzzing though his head. There was so much he wanted to say, but how could he put them down in a way that made sense? Granted, yes, nothing terribly exciting had happened; but he had thought a great deal during their journey so far, and he wanted to put his thoughts down on the paper. After pondering for several more minutes on how to start, he set the paper down and began writing, his head and shoulders hunched over the paper as his ponytail slid over his right shoulder and land across his forearm, only to go unnoticed. He mumbled the words to himself as they were written; a habit of his when he was concentrating.

"My dearest Emille; I write this letter in the Crystal Palace of Mille Seasu…"

_Time passes _

In Mayfil, the two cloaked figures stood on opposite sides of the small pool of water, both of the hoods tilted downwards as they looked down. The image on the surface was of the Dragoons boarding the Queen Fury in Furni.

"Things seem peaceful," observed the figure in white, her words echoing softly around the cavern.

"For now," came the voice of the figure in black. "But the village of Gez will require their assistance if anyone is to escape."

The white hood tilted to the left slightly as Elizabeth and Verona jumped onto the docking claw, Verona being the last to board. She pauses to turn back to the town and take another fond look at it before proceeding onto the ship. "They are becoming stronger as Dragoons; and there will be a battle soon."

"They will be ready. There will be more than enough time for them to prepare for what lies ahead."

Author's note: Poor Albert. His library addiction seems to be getting worse, doesn't it?


End file.
